If Time is All We've Lost
by Concordia Cadence
Summary: *Chapter 13 is up!* Chapters 1-9 are L/J, but I recommend reading at least 9, but for full understanding, read them all. Hermione is caught in the middle between the faith that she treasures and a friend she loves. What's a girl to do?
1. PrologueChapter 1 White

Well, hi. I'm really proud of this story so, please be gentle with flames. For people that know my pen name, keep reading, it will turn out eventually. This is a Harry Potter fan fiction with a little bit of The Mists of Avalon thrown in. I plan to update once a week until my school work slows down a little and Science Fair is over. In this story, you will learn that not all things are what they seem, and that plans are to be defiled. As in my other story, I will be having lots of useless information and be giving my reviewers some really weird stuff (not literally). I hope you enjoy this story as much as I loved thinking it up. Also, please tell me some weird color names; they're for later chapters. Like I said, sit back and enjoy (but please don't fall out of your chair).  
  
Useless Information: Well, I've used this one before in my first story, but it's one of my favorite quotes and here it is. "Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you do criticize them, you're a mile ahead of them and you have their shoes." - I always forget who says it *arggh* any way she's one of the coolest people on Earth.  
  
Disclaimer: It's pretty bad when some of your plot doesn't even belong to you. It belongs to J.K. Rowling and Marion Zimmer Bradley.  
  
If Time is All We've Lost…  
  
Chapter 1 - Prologue - White  
  
'All around, hear the sound  
of creation singing.'  
- Mark Shultz / Back to You  
  
For a story that twists and turns like no other, there has to be a beginning…and there is.  
  
We begin with the birth of two twin girls to Mr. Edmond and Mrs. Alia Evans. For six years they had waited and prayed for more children, ever since their first daughter, Petunia Ann Evans, was born.  
  
Then, like an answer to all their prayers, Alia went to a friend's party. Even though Minue Figg had only one daughter like herself, she was nevertheless content with her life. At Minue's gathering, Alia met a woman named Minerva. They ended up having a very intense conversation. Minerva, it turned out, was barren and was saddened deeply by it. When Alia told Minerva about her problem, she was shocked to hear that Minerva had a solution for it. She left to her car for a moment, and came back with a small bottle of what looked like lotion.  
  
"Rub a little on your neck and elbows," she had said, "and the thing you wish deep inside your heart will come true. Just promise me one thing, if you bear twin daughters you will give them to me."  
  
Alia sniffed the lotion warily. She loved the smell, and when she turned to ask Minerva what was in it, she turned to find her gone. She used it, taking no heed to what Minerva had wanted. She thought it so unlikely that she would get pregnant with twins girls that she used the lotion without care.  
  
A month later, Alia found out she was pregnant. And at the end of her first Trimester, she found that she was pregnant with twins. On October 16th, 1963, Alia's water broke at 8:00 PM and her husband took her to the local hospital in London. (They live on a small farm about 15 miles away from London)  
  
They had decided to wait to see what sex the babies would be. The labor was fine, nothing Alia had not had with Petunia. At 12:02 AM, October 17th, 1963, the first child was delivered; A healthy, screaming baby girl. Then, at 12:05 AM, the second child arrived; a healthy, beautiful baby girl.  
  
When the nurse came by about three hours after the births, they named their little girls. The first was named Lily Emma Evans, and the second Narcissa Tyne Evans. When her husband left to get Petunia from Minue, she just lay there, holding her two precious baby girls. Then, a thought struck her,…If you bear twin daughters, you will give them to me…The promise.  
  
The thought of giving her daughters to a middle-aged woman made her fear her daughters' safety. But when six-year old Petunia came in to inspect her new playthings, she crinkled her nose and said, "Why does this one have ugly hair?" She pointed at the smooth, red hair on Lily's head.   
  
"She has your father's hair, while you and Narcissa have my hair." Alia explained kindly.  
  
"Oh," Petunia said, and she turned away, hoping for a better answer.   
  
They left the hospital two days later and Lily and Narcissa seemed to enjoy their new home. The two girls were inseparable. Nothing could come between the two. They were also intelligent, at only four, their speech was as good as any eleven year-olds'. There was only one problem, they constantly complained of odd dreams.  
  
"But Mum, it was there as clear as ever, Aunt Edie was in her purple mustang and everything. She was waving at us, telling you she had potato salad and some chocolate-raspberry trifle in the back seat. She said you needed to make green beans and a your famous roast." Lily had said. Narcissa nodded fervently at her side.  
  
"And she brought Petunia at fuzzy grey jumper and she brought us a quilt to share, with red, green, blue, and yellow squares because she knows we love them." Narcissa confirmed.  
  
"And she even made one for Ophie and Celia." Lily piped in, referring to their favorite dolls.   
  
Alia was deeply impressed by this 'vision', but took it as a plea to make a roast for dinner, since they both loved it. "Okay, I'll roast for dinner, just in case."  
  
"Thanks, Mum!" they both said enthusiastically, and they ran off to play with their dolls.  
  
Around two hours later, Lily and Narcissa came out of their rooms, their dolls and themselves in their best dresses and their hair plaited.  
  
"Now, listen you two, I don't know where you got the idea that Aunt Edie is going to visit us, but…"   
  
But why Aunt Edie wasn't coming to dinner, they never knew why, because, at that moment, a purple mustang appeared in the driveway.  
  
"My word…" Alia whispered, dropping the whole shaker of salt to the floor.  
  
Lily and Narcissa leapt to the door to let her in. "Aunt Edie!" And they were both pulled into a giant hug.  
  
"How are you, sweethearts?" Edie said. "Look, I made you this pretty quilt for your bed, and there's also a little one so Ophie and Celia won't get cold." Each tiny girl kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you so much," said Lily.  
  
"Yes, they're our favorite colors!" Narcissa chirped.  
  
Lily and Narcissa ran off to their room and Edie took out a grey sweater. "I think this is in Petunia's school uniform, and it's made out of the thickest wool in all of England. My dear, do speak up, it's not everyday you get to see your sister. And, by the way, I brought potato salad and chocolate-raspberry trifle. I'll go get them, I figured they'd go great with that fantastic roast you make. It's smells like you've already got one in the oven." She left to get the food.  
  
'How could they have known?…They're just children…' She was snapped out of her thoughts when Edie came struggling in with the food.  
  
The had a very enjoyable dinner, and when Lily and Narcissa had eaten the last of their trifle, they went to play checkers with each other in the living room, Petunia went to watch television in her room, and Edmond went to finish an important job in his office. Alia and Edie were sipping coffee when Alia decided to bring up the subject of Lily and Narcissa knowing that Edie was on her way.  
  
"Edie," said Alia seriously. "I think that Lily and Narcissa are gifted. They foresaw you coming today."  
  
"Don't worry, dear. Sometimes, I think that my Patrick is like that, but it's just coincidence." Edie said reassuringly.  
  
"They even saw you bringing potato salad and chocolate raspberry trifle." Alia sputtered indignantly.   
  
"I always bring that." She answered simply.  
  
"They even knew what you were bringing them and Petunia." Alia said in a low tone.  
  
"Did they, now?" said Edie, surprised. "Well, you've got me stumped there."  
  
Over the next week, there was really nothing odd going on, until Edmond and Petunia left on Thursday morning. At lunch time, Narcissa was beating Lily in a spirited game of hopscotch, when they both came panting in.   
  
"Mum," Lily said, in a voice that sounded like she wasn't sure she should be saying this. "There's a lady out on the porch that says she wants to speak to you."  
  
When Alia opened the door, she found herself face to face with none other than Minerva.  
  
"Hello, I believe you remember our deal." She said, without even coming into the house.  
  
"Mum, what is she talking about?" Narcissa asked interestedly.  
  
But Alia was staring in white horror, struggling to keep her breath and voice steady. "Y-You two g-go play check-checkers in your room," she said to the girls. "Would you please come in?"  
  
"No, I would rather not." Minerva said sharply. "I just want you to keep your promise to me. Your two girls are talented beyond your wildest dreams and where I will take them will help them use their talents to their own benefit."  
  
"Is the-there any other way?" Alia asked uncertainly.  
  
"No," Minerva answered quickly. "I will allow them to visit you in the summer."  
  
Holding back silent tears, she agreed, but saying she would only do so if Minerva would tell Edmond for her. Minerva did so and said she would return at noon the next day. That night, while Alia was tucking Lily and Narcissa in bed, Narcissa asked a question.  
  
"Mum," she asked, a tinge a fear in her voice. "What did that nice lady want?"  
  
"You're going to go with her for a little while, both of you." She added quickly, seeing the fear beginning spread on both faces. "But remember, when you come back home, we will love you as much as the day you were born. Got that?"   
  
She kissed them both on the head, fighting back tears, turned the light off and went to bed herself.  
  
At noon, Minerva, came and took the girls with a few of their things. They said good-bye and went with her. They followed her silently, until they reached the end of their lake. "Hold my hands," Minerva said quickly.  
  
"Excuse me madam," Lily asked timidly. "Where are we going?"  
  
"Please don't call me madam, it makes me feel older beyond my years," she asked kindly. "We are going to a place called Avalon, where both of you will thrive and flourish in a beautiful atmosphere."  
  
"Is it like school?" Narcissa ventured.  
  
"Yes and no. You will learn things, but you will learn so much more in Avalon. Are you ready, close your eyes." Minerva gripped their tiny hands tightly, closed her own eyes, and in no time they were at a barge.  
  
"Narcissa, it's that place in our dream, with the little boat," Lily said excitedly.  
  
"And the dark men rowing it," added Narcissa dramatically.   
  
"I see you both have had occasional meetings with the Sight, so let me tell you know that both of you are witches." Minerva said warmly. Perfect…just as Goddess said it would be…  
  
"Wow!" said Lily, obviously enthused about the idea. "Are we good witches or bad witches?"  
  
"Good witches, of course," Minerva said jovially.  
  
"Do we get a pink, puffy dress and a magic wand?" asked Narcissa, just as excited as Lily.  
  
"No, you will not have to wear a puffy, pink dress-"  
  
"Oh, good," said Lily, heaving a small sigh. "Petunia has one, and it is so ugly." Narcissa nodded in agreement. If anyone else had ever dared to interrupt the Lady of the Lake, they would have paid dearly, but as they were curious, knowledgeable children, she let them slide. "And you will not get a wand until you go to school."  
  
"There's a witch school?" Narcissa wondered aloud.  
  
"Yes, and a very fine one it is indeed, I went there, and I teach there. But, it is not the time to dwell on this you must wait until you are older." And that ended the conversation.  
  
She called the boat, and they went through the mists, both Lily and Narcissa gasped and awed as the full beauty of Avalon met their beautiful eyes.  
  
When they reached the isle, they ate sparingly. And over time, after about six years on mortal time, she allowed for Lily and Narcissa to visit their homes and gave them the one of their final tests, the one of having control over the mists of Avalon. Ten year-old Lily and Narcissa passed with flying colors. When they sat to eat, Narcissa gave her shocking news.  
  
"I do not want to go back to London, sister and Lady. I wish to remain here." Narcissa told Minerva and Lily.  
  
"Why?" sputtered Lily. "Don't you want to see mother?"  
  
"Minerva is the only mother I have ever known." Narcissa said firmly. "Tell mother and father that I died from malaria."  
  
"As you wish, sister." Though Lily looked rather shocked at the news. "Lady, may I take leave for a week to visit father and mother?"  
  
"Of course you may, my foster-daughter," said Minerva, and she gave Lily a warm smile. "To let you both know, you will be attending Hogwarts this fall. We will be going to Diagon Alley to get your books and other supplies."  
  
Both girls hugged her tightly. They had beauty that surpassed he own at their age and Minerva knew that they would also be ageless like herself. Lily with her golden, auburn hair and beautiful green eyes like the emerald shores of Avalon. Narcissa was equally beautiful, with her sunshine tinted blond hair and sparkling blue eyes, like the clear water of the well.  
  
At noon that day Lily left to London, with Maline, one of the older priestesses. And she returned early the next day, fuming.  
  
"They care nothing for me!" Lily burst out angrily. "They didn't even so much as cry when I told them of Narcissa's death! And Petunia has a neck like a giraffe!" Both Narcissa and Lily stifled their giggles.  
  
  
A/N: Well, there's the prologue and first chapter. I hope you enjoyed it and soon the plot will be unfolding. Blue basketball knee-pads and hot chocolate to my reviewers. And if you're wondering about the whole 'Goddess' thing, I don't believe there is one but I put it in there as in the context of the book, The Mists of Avalon. I shall be posting soon, Thanks, Epequa ;) 


	2. Chapter 2 Goldenrod

I've put off writing this for long enough. I want to thank those who reviewed *7!!! I can't believe it* You are the absolute best! Anywho, my muse seems to be taking a lot of time off right now (slacker!) so I really have been trying to rack my mind with later chapters. I have to tweak Voldemort's age a little bit in here. I believe that Harry was born in 1987 but it won't work with Voldemort, so just pretend that the diary Harry found in book 2 was really 30 years old instead of 50. There is going to be a song or part of a song for every chapter. On three you can read…one…two…THREE!!!  
  
Useless Information: Not a quote today, be happy, but a rather weird menu. Here are some examples of what the rich ancient Romans would eat; Baked Parrot, Fried Flamingo, and Jellyfish with eggs.  
  
Disclaimer: There is no way in this world that I could get this published as my own story. (Although, I think someone did publish a Potter parody) That already belongs to J.K. Rowling and Marion Zimmer Bradley.  
  
If Time is All We've Lost  
  
Chapter 2 - Goldenrod  
  
'The past is now another land,  
far beyond my reach.  
Invaded by insidious,  
Foreign bodies, foreign speech.  
Where the timeless joys of childhood  
Lie broken on the beach.'  
-Elton John and Tim Rice/ 'The Past is another land'  
  
Lily continued to tell them the rest of the story. It seemed that Petunia had succeeded in convincing the family that Lily and Narcissa stopped considering themselves their true daughters. When Lily had tried to explain this, they shooed her away, sixteen year-old Petunia with a triumphant, snotty nose in the air. Lily had also met up with Minue Figg, who had had another daughter, Arabella.  
  
With Lily's hasty return, Minerva decided that they would go to Diagon Alley the next day. They slept quietly in the house of maidens and Minerva returned to her small house. She sat there, as one of the young priestesses began to unplait her long, dark, fine hair. As soon as the girl was done, Minerva wished her to bed, and, about an hour later, Minerva finally fell into an uneasy sleep.  
  
She had a very odd dream, or a vision from the Great Mother, which it was, she couldn't tell. She was rushed into a chamber, filled with dark signs of the deepest dark arts. Four limp figures were bound in the entrance of the high arch twined with serpents.  
  
Lily was inside the chamber, there was no mistaking her auburn hair, clearly cowering from two dark-haired men, one with his wand and one without. There was a blinding flash of light, and an Avalon sickle knife lay on the ground, splashed with blood, and a silence that was eerie hung in the air. There was a yell from the hall and before Minerva could see what happened, she woke up in a cold sweat.  
  
There was a faint noise outside. Minerva rushed to her window to see what it was. Narcissa was outside, with her harp, plucking a solemn tune, her voice as pure and sweet as honey. Minerva looked longingly at the young woman, and then a thought struck her…Why hadn't Narcissa been in the dream? None of the bounded figures had her shimmering hair…and she knew that Lily and Narcissa were inseparable…and yet…?   
  
Minerva sat near her bed. This plan could not go awry, she had worked too hard. Once she found that the Goddess would not give her any children, she knew it was her job to find heirs. She had waited 15 years for Alia to come along. And after that it was another four to wait to take them to Avalon. And the Merlin, …she had to talk to the Merlin. She ran to the shores of Avalon, plucked the herbs and flowers she needed, and got out her battered bronze mirror.  
  
'No'…She thought… 'I can't trouble him with this right now, I'll talk to him soon enough.' And with this uneasy resolution, Minerva drifted off to sleep.  
  
They next day dawned bright in Avalon, but as soon as Lily, Narcissa, and Minerva stepped into the mortal world, it turned cloudy. Lily and Narcissa knew by now that since Avalon is almost in a world of its own, there can be very distinct changes in the real world than in Avalon.  
  
They made their way out of rural England and into the busy bustle of the city. Then into the grubby little pub called the Leaky Cauldron. They wandered through the secret passageway and into the winding road of Diagon Alley.  
  
They stopped at Madam Malkin's and got their robes, not unlike their dark blue gowns they wore on the island. Minerva almost had to curse Lily and Narcissa out of Flourish and Blotts, they had never seen so many books in their lives. Then to the Apothecary, where the girls weren't really surprised. They had grown up with things such as chamomile infused mint leaves and blue dragon scales.  
  
"Ollivander's," said Minerva, sighing deeply, recalling when she too had been taken here by her foster-mother. "This is the only place to get your wand, no other else will suit you right." She clasped her hands on Lily and Narcissa's and they set off into the tiny shop.  
  
"Minerva, how I have been expecting you!" said Mr. Ollivander happily. "And this must be Narcissa and Lily. I have been expecting you two, must be two of my most important customers." He smiled gently at them. The two girls giggled together.  
  
"Well, who will be first?" he asked the girls. Lily and Narcissa looked at each other apparently settling this question without the use of words. Mr. Ollivander looked curiously at them and then smiled in Minerva's direction, who returned his smile whole-heartedly.  
  
"I will," said Lily bravely. She had always been the go-getter, the girl was fearless. Lily stepped up to the counter and allowed herself to be measured for the second time that day. Mr. Ollivander went into the back of his shop and returned with two wand boxes.  
  
"You have to be one of the oddest customers I've ever served and for once I am sure that one of these two wands will be yours." He looked at her with elementary intrigue. "Like I said, I have never been as sure that a wand belongs to a person like this before. So, try this one first; Pine, 14 inches, and a Unicorn tailhair."  
  
Lily took the wand from him apprehensively, while in the post of the speech, and gave it a wave. Nothing happened. "Hmm…then it must be this one, I'm sure of it. Here you go; Willow, 10 inches, and containing one dragon heartstring." Mr. Ollivander now stared at Lily with complete interest.  
  
Lily took the wand in her hand and gave it a wave. In a jet of blue and red sparks, the dark crescent moon appeared in the shop. As the smoky sign disappeared, Mr. Ollivander said thoughtfully, "Only a true priestess would have made that appear."  
  
Lily sat down in the single, spindly chair, looking very proud of herself. Narcissa walked slowly up to the counter.  
  
"There is a reason that I said that you two were my most important customers," his sapphire eyes reflected the ones so much like his own. "I had a feeling that you would take the one that didn't fit Lily, try this one." He held up the first wand that he had offered Lily. Narcissa waved it and the same mark appeared in the room. Lily and Narcissa paid for their wands, and left the shop, now tired and distraught after their long shopping trip.  
  
Minerva had booked two rooms in the Leaky Cauldron for one night and when they headed back to the entrance to the muggle world. She felt this feeling of utmost failure and fear. She dismissed the feeling with an impatient glance at the nearest shop.   
  
They ate in the pub that night. Minerva sent the girls to get bread and berries from Tom when she couldn't help but notice who was motioning her to sit beside him.  
  
It was Voldemort. She remembered his mother vaguely. She had been recommended by one of the younger priestess's as a potential student, although Minerva sensed the girl was weak in her mind and soul and therefore unfit to become a priestess. She had rejected his mother and Voldemort thought that she and all the other people involved in Avalon should be murdered and Avalon shunned back into the heavens, never to return.  
  
Unfortunately, Voldemort had obtained a small, very unclear, portion of the Sight.  
  
"Minerva," he said in mock surprise, "fancy seeing you here."  
  
"Ah," said Minerva reminiscently. "Why do you want to talk the one that supposedly ruined your life?" She looked at him intently. Voldemort was not really that old, barely out of Hogwarts; he had graduated only two years ago.  
  
"Well," he said, looking over his shoulder as if expecting something to fling a dead rat at him. "Some of us have our reasons to conduct a civilized conversation with the ones the hate most." He raised his dark eyebrows expectantly. He looked almost like the figure in the tapestry that was Mordred.  
  
"What have you seen?" She asked impatiently; she had been ready for this.  
  
"I know that both of girls cannot be the Lady of the Lake because you, conveniently, forgot to tell their mother to have their middle names start with s. I know that that is an important factor, as it was said by the very first Merlin. "And that they will marry two death-eaters.:  
  
Minerva was overwhelmed for a moment. She couldn't believe that both Lily and Narcissa would end up almost destroying Avalon's chances at survival much longer.  
  
After that moment, she felt shame. It was she that had forgotten to tell Alia to have her girls' middle name start with s. She had planted her and the Merlin's royal Avalon blood inside the lotion. The plan was flawless, until she thought about it in Avalon later, and then she knew that she would have to wait to see what kind of children Lily and Narcissa would bear; the Goddess would let her know if their children would be suitable for her plan.  
  
At that moment, both girls reappeared with the food. Minerva hastily told them to sit in the table next to them. The girls sat down and chatted merrily about their day's adventure.   
  
"You know that I can totally defeat you in this, telling the death-eaters whom they marry to never allow them to bear a child alive. What would you do then, oh Lady" He said in a sarcastic type of praise.  
  
"You cannot assume that you know all, Voldemort. The Great Mother has her own reason for everything." As she said this, she noticed that Voldemort was not looking at her, but at Lily. This was not the stare that Mr. Ollivander had given her, but one that showed that Voldemort's heart was racing and his mind ticking with a horrible plan. Lily didn't seem to notice. "What are you looking at?" She asked urgently, trying to break his piercing stare.  
  
"Nothing," he said in a faraway voice, but his eyes lingered on Lily for a little more and then he turned to Minerva, with a look that plainly told her that his mind was made up and that his evil plan had just broken its shell. "What would the Great Mother think if I made sure that Lily or Narcissa never had children? What if I make her mine and leave the other to my most faithful death-eater?"  
  
Minerva gaped at him, in pure white horror. Surely he wouldn't, he couldn't. She didn't mind about the death-eater thing, she was sure Narcissa could overcome him easily, but Lily married to Voldemort? No, the Goddess would have her way with this whole situation.  
  
"Something to dwell on and to haunt your dreams at night." He told her cheerfully, obviously enjoying her expression. He swiftly got up from his chair and left through the muggle world entrance.  
  
Minerva slept fretfully that night and eventually woke up at 1:00 AM frantically trying not to think of the new plan that Voldemort had. She had to call the Merlin to her know. There was no avoiding it now. She took out the herbs and flowers that she had saved from the night before. She placed her mirror by the fire and broke the plants into the fire, the fire glowed purple color. "Merlin, I want to speak with you, it's urgent!" she shouted into the fire before the purple turned into a bright yellow and a man emerged from the flames; Albus Dumbledore, current Merlin of Britain.   
  
"What is it, Minerva?" Dumbledore asked her.  
  
Minerva explained the whole conversation with Voldemort and the plan he had. Afterwards, Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Voldemort cannot do anything while I am headmaster, he knows that. After Lily graduates from Hogwarts, we need to make sure she is kept in Avalon."  
  
"Albus," she said critically. "That's right, but for some reason, it seems too easy. Well, the Goddess will have her way eventually and if she wishes to take Avalon from this world, then it will be that way."  
  
"I'm sorry I must leave you, Minerva," Dumbledore said, throwing floo powder into the fire. "But I have to get back to Hogwarts. I'll expect you soon." And with one last smile, he shouted "Hogwarts!" into the fire and sped off toward his destination.  
  
Minerva sat there for nearly an hour later, just wondering. She knew that Dumbledore depended on this as much as she did. He knew that he wasn't to have an heir, and hopefully Lily and Narcissa would either bear a son or daughter, just as long as they had at least one son and daughter between them. (A person can also not become the Merlin without a middle name beginning with s.)  
  
She hadn't thought about Lily really. She knew that Lily was too smart to be taken by Voldemort, she knew about his treachery and pain in the wizarding world. And with that girl's nerve, she knew what to do and what not to do. And yet again, Minerva fell into her third uneasy sleep in two nights.  
  
A/N: I want to thank those who reviewed a million times over. (I hope I didn't disappoint you with this chapter) Review, please. Next chapter may be a bit belated (I'm going on a camping trip with my youth group) but by only a day at the most. Red sweaters and chippy nail polish to my reviewers. Thanks for reading, Epequa ;) 


	3. Chapter 3 Aged Orange

Hey! I wanted to thank those people who reviewed a million times over! I'm kinda tired because I just spent 2 days in a cave, but it was really cool. Moving on, I noticed that I had 2 questions and I am willing to answer them. The first answer is to Scarlett*Eye's question about why Lily, Narcissa, and Minerva regard each other with names like foster-daughter and sister. Well, usually when they do that they're in Avalon. There, every priestess is a sister to one another and so that is why Lily and Narcissa call each other that. Minerva calls them foster-daughters in Avalon because they really are. The other, from Krum-luver, was is Minerva the one we all know, and yes it is. Well, this isn't going to be too exciting but a lot of things will be revealed in here that will make sense in the future…and we also jump about 6 years. Read, Review, and Be Merry!  
  
Useless Information: It's time for a quote! Yay! Well, Krum-luver actually gave me this idea… "Bloody hell, I'm Quidditch captain and…man I look good." -Rupert Grint a.k.a. Ron Weasly  
  
Disclaimer: I'm very sorry to say that I don't own one bit of this other than the 25+ Mary Sues that I made up for this chapter alone. All the actual good parts belong to J.K. Rowling and Marion Zimmer Bradley.  
  
If Time is All We've Lost  
  
Chapter 3 - Aged Orange  
  
'Woke up on the wrong side of the bed,  
the wrong side of the room,  
the wrong side of the world.'  
- A really good singer who gets all the credit   
  
Minerva left England with a lot on her mind. In one week she'd be back teaching at Hogwarts. But then there was that ever haunting idea of what Voldemort was plotting in his mind. The imprisoning of two of her most beloved priestesses and the hope that they alone would continue the line and make sure that whatever happened with Voldemort, Avalon would stay.  
  
As soon as they arrived in Avalon, Minerva called Lily and Narcissa to her. They would be taking the train to Hogwarts so that they wouldn't be under suspicion with their fellow classmates. Maline would be taking them. Minerva knew now that she, and she alone, would decide when to let Lily and Narcissa reveal their true selves. Avalon priestesses were usually persecuted, but since Lily and Narcissa were also muggle-born, they would be under even more if they were found out too quickly.  
  
She told the girls how to get on the train, and then, after hugs and kisses, Minerva left. Lily and Narcissa were both bright and far ahead of the usual priestess, so Minerva had really no fear that they were not going to succeed.  
  
Lily and Narcissa left a week later, their trunks burdened with the weight of their books and robes, with Maline. Maline saw them safely to the station, then left.   
  
Lily and Narcissa were about halfway to the platform when they met someone about their age. He had fair, light brown hair, and blue sparkling eyes like Narcissa's. But, unlike Narcissa, his eyes had dark circles under them and he seemed to have a lot of scratches on his face and what looked like bite marks on his lower left arm. Lily and Narcissa assumed that he was also going to Hogwarts because of his heavy trunk. By the way he was looking at them, he had the same idea. He was apparently alone, there was no sign of any parents or anything like that. He smiled at them and Lily, being talkative and super-friendly, took this chance to make a new friend.  
  
"Hi!" she said to him. "My name's Lily Evans, and this is my twin sister, Narcissa."  
  
"Hello," he said, looking directly in her excited eyes. "My name is Remus Lupin. I'm going to Hogwarts too. Unfortunately, my dad didn't tell me how to get to the platform."  
  
"That's okay, we do," said Narcissa a little shyishly. "You just walk straight between the barriers between platforms 9 and 10."  
  
"I'll go first!" said Lily, and she wheeled her trunk around and she took a deep breath. "Here I go."  
  
Remus and Narcissa stared as she took off at a run towards the wall. They closed their eyes shut tight just as Lily's cart reached the brick. Remus wrenched his eyes open first and looked around.   
  
"She did it!" he said wildly. "Well, that leaves us. You can go ahead."  
  
Narcissa took off like Lily did and at the exact moment where she was to hit a wall, she found herself on the platform, the steam billowing from the train. A few moments later, Remus appeared, gaping at the scene as she had done.  
  
"Narcissa! Remus!" Lily was hanging out of a train window. "Come on the train! I've found a compartment full of first years!" And she disappeared back inside the compartment.  
  
The other two looked at each other for a split second, and then both crammed into the train. Inside what looked like the smallest part of the train, they found Lily. She was in a room with about 10 people in it. Everyone was crammed into a seat and most were talking to another. They all looked up when two more joined their number. A boy next to Lily took this chance to speak. "Well, since we can't cram anyone else in here, we need to get aquatinted with one another. So, we'll go around in a circle and when it gets to you say your full name, your parentage, and just to mix it up, what you're allergic to, magical or non-magical. I'll start. My name is Ethan Corput, I'm a Muggle-born, and I am allergic to nothing."  
  
While everyone else listened intently, Lily took notice that Narcissa was going to be last and that Ethan had fairer hair than even Remus with bright silver eyes. Ethan also had a thick Irish accent.   
  
Next was a girl that only Lily noticed. It was Arabella Figg, Minue's daughter. She looked a lot like Minue herself, with her brown hair and almost royal purple eyes. "Alloa everyone! My name is Arabella Figg, I'm half and half, and I'm allergic to fresh pickled toad livers. Not exactly a bad thing is it?" And she sat down smiling broadly, amid the 'bluaahhh's and laughs from everyone else. Lily and Narcissa both knew right then that there was no question; she was going to be one of their new friends.  
  
After that, a black girl with amazing ebony eyes stood up and started to introduce herself. "My name is Tanwen Morten, both my parents are magical, and I'm allergic to Floo Powder." She sat down and waited for the person beside her to stand up.  
  
"Irene Wilson, witch and wizard, and I'm deadly allergic to nothing." The girl with brown hair and blue eyes sat down to warm laughs. The next kid was already standing up.  
  
"My name is Raquel Linen, I'm half and half, I'm allergic to all poisons, and I CAN'T WAIT 'TILL WE GET TO HOGWARTS!!!" her echo traveled through the whole train and everyone in their compartment either clapped or cheered for the almost Narcissa look alike. Raquel took a bow and sat down. Everyone was looking at the next person apprehensively.  
  
"I'm called Ana Zymmer, I'm Muggle-born, and I break out in hives if I come in contact with knotgrass."   
  
She had light brown hair and lively, cinnamon eyes. The next was Remus.  
  
"My name is Remus Lupin, I'm a halfie, and I'm allergic to wolf bane." He said it so seriously that people actually awed quietly. Another girl stood up, this time with deep brown, almost midnight hair and these hazel eyes that seemed to change color in every light.  
  
"My name is Soroya Ames, my mother is a witch from Iran and my father is a wizard from Amsterdam, and I'm allergic to nothing on the face of the planet we call Earth!" Next was the last boy, a black boy with light green eyes.  
  
"My name is Quincy Roberts, I'm muggle-born, and I'm allergic to fluxweed." He said quickly and the next person was forced upward. She had strawberry blond hair and peridot-looking eyes.  
  
"Ruth Mascen's the name, half is the parentage, witch mother, and hot salamander hearts is the allergy." A couple of grossed out looks followed that and then Lily stood up and cleared her throat.  
  
"My name is Lily Evans, I'm a muggle-born, and I'm allergic to nothing, well except maybe annoying, egotistical brats."  
  
"Well, you might not like James Potter then. Grew up in one of the richest wizarding families there is. That boy is so caught up in Quidditch, it's sick." Said Tanwen warningly. Lily remembered the name, sat down, and let Narcissa go.  
  
"My name is Narcissa Evans, I'm a mu…g…g……l…" and with that Narcissa dropped into a deep trance-like state.  
  
~Narcissa's Sight~  
  
I'm in a large room with four long tables. I'm sitting at the one in the far left corner, talking to Lily, when a person comes up and the hat thing goes as if it's being forced to say something, I can't hear…it said Gryf…Gryffin…dor, I can't see, there's some dark shape shooting something at another…it's all fading…oh, no…  
  
~Back in the Compartment~  
  
"Narcissa!" Lily was saying fearfully. "Narcissa, please, leave it alone." Hardly anyone new what she was really talking about. Lily knew at once it was the sight, but so did Remus, Arabella, and Ana. Remus's father had seen plenty of Sight cases because he worked at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies. Arabella's mother is a full priestess of Avalon and Ana spent a year on Avalon with her uncle.  
  
"Wha…What happened?" Narcissa finally said, opening and closing her eyes. Then she suddenly noticed Lily. "Lily," she whispered, "Lily, there's going to be some kind of sabotage done to the sorting hat. Someone's going to be put in Gryffindor with out the hat's true approval."  
  
Lily gaped at her sister, who was know being swept back into the conversation. Lily decided right then and there than she was going to talk to Minerva as soon as they got to school.  
  
The train finally slowed at the Hogsmeade station. They all finally stretched their legs and got off the locomotive. They followed Hagrid to the boats and the fleet took off with really nothing exciting happening.  
  
In the entrance hall they were introduced to the school by Minerva. Lily and Narcissa never found out how they ever got used to calling her Professor McGonagall when they had called her Minerva or foster-mother for almost a decade. They walked into the Great Hall to stares and a couple of excited whispers.  
  
Professor McGonagall brought out the hat on the stool, it opened it's brimmed mouth, and began to sing.  
  
As a young hat  
I was proud to   
be seen around  
intelligent youth.  
  
But soon I was turned  
into something much more  
and filled to the brim  
with gifts galore.  
  
I was chosen to  
select the house for each  
of those who came to learn  
their dreams within their reach  
  
By looking deep into   
the young and energetic mind  
I could tell where they  
could locate their kind.  
  
Slytherin made me notice  
those who were bound to succeed  
those with ambition to find their way  
breaking rules if they need  
  
Hufflepuff sent me to find  
the once loyal to their very ends  
Hard-working and fearless  
happiest with friends  
  
Ravenclaw challenged me to uncover  
those with quick minds and wit  
with cleverness and a willingness to learn  
always anxious to put in their bit.  
  
And Gryffindor wanted me to remember   
those bold and brave  
those who are always ready to go  
and those most unafraid.  
  
And as they parted  
away from this world  
I was put in their place  
to pick the boys and girls  
  
And so it has been for  
more than a thousand years  
for I have correctly placed every time  
and calmed many fears  
  
I know where you'll do best  
it's all inside your brain  
So put me in and then I'll see  
where you ought to remain.  
  
Everyone burst into applause as the hat finished it's song and bowed deeply to each of the four house tables and then Professor McGonagall started to call names.  
  
"Ames, Soroya."  
  
Soroya hurried to the stool and place the hat on her head. After a minute…  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Soroya ran off to the farthest table on the left among the cheering and polite clapping.  
  
"Avery, Glorois"  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
The table farthest on the right applauded this time as the boy staggered forward.  
  
"Badon, George"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
The table second on the left cheered and welcomed their newest classmate to the table.  
  
"Black, Sirius"  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
"Brice, Marion"  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
"Boyen, Penny"  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
Finally, the table second on the right had something to cheer about as Penny Boyen joined the table.  
  
"Chulice, Sergio"  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
"Corput, Ethan"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
And finally, "Evans, Lily"  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Then, "Evans, Narcissa"  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
"Figg, Arabella"  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
When Arabella joined the table, it became evident that some of the other tables thought something had jinxed the sorting hat.  
  
"Flaggins, Daniel"  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
"Fletcher, Mundungus"  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
"Gudgeon, David"  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
"Jacks, Kaysen"  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
"Linen, Raquel"  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
No doubt by now almost everyone thought something was up.  
  
"Ludlow, Thomas"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Lupin, Remus"  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
"Lestranges, Lankin"  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
"Malfoy, Lucius"  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
"Mascen, Ruth"  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
"Miles, Charles"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Mondin, Howard"  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
"Morten, Tanwen"  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
"Olarius, Daphne"  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
"Otes, Marvin"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Pettigrew, Peter"  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
When the Peter boy was sorted, Narcissa felt a tingling on the back of her neck as though her mind was trying to tell her something, but she put it in the back of her mind.  
  
"Potter, James"  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Lily had been waiting to see who Tanwen had been talking about. James Potter had blazing blue eyes with glasses. He also had back hair and was quite tall, but Lily didn't really care.  
  
"Roberts, Quincy"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Rosier, Alice"  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
"Snape, Severus"  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
Both Lily and Narcissa saw many of the people in Gryffindor snicker at the boy's name.  
  
"Ussen, Julie"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Veniro, Fira"  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
"Verdon, Brian"  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
"Wilkes, Luke"  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
"Wilson, Irene"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Witten, Olivia"  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
"Zymmer, Ana"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
Professor McGonagall picked up the stool and the hat and took them to a tiny room off the teachers' table. She returned in a few minutes and then Dumbledore stood up.  
  
"Welcome, to yet another year of learning and guidance, with, as always, a few mysteries on the end. We have a new caretaker, Argus Filch, and on that note of happiness for some," Dumbledore seemed to smile at James and Sirius after that statement. "And meaning nothing to the rest. So now, without further adieu, FOOD!"   
  
The delicious heaps of food appeared on every sing table. People were scrambling to get steaks and corn and pretty much everything else. Lily and Narcissa had made fast friends with the other 1st year girls. Raquel was a very fast thinker and couldn't believe that she wasn't put in Ravenclaw, but was happy all the same with Gryffindor.  
  
For Soroya, it was more surprising to get presents on her birthday than get into Gryffindor. It turned out pretty much all of her family that had attended Hogwarts had ended up in Gryffindor.  
  
Arabella, as it turned out, didn't now she or her mother were witches but was so excited when she found out. Everything about being a witch was totally and fully new to her.  
  
Lily and Narcissa knew they couldn't give much information about their real lives right then. Minerva, or Professor McGonagall, would give them the appropriate time. They said they had grown up in rural England and had no idea whatsoever of witches or wizards until they got their letters.  
  
Remus had made fast friends with James Potter and Sirius Black. They all seemed to have one thing in common; the love of Quidditch. James was telling a very fictional story about how he had accidentally caught the Snitch in the last Quidditch final, Uganda vs. Puddlemore United, when Raquel leaned across the table to talk to the girls.  
  
"I've heard he can't keep his mouth shut for one minute," Raquel threw a despising glance at James. "I don't think his head could get any bigger."  
  
The girls giggled to themselves and then Soroya spoke up. "And that Sirius Black, there's no way you could separate the two. They both hate that greasy-haired kid, Snape I think it was, anyways they're either fighting or their planning their next attack on the Slytherins."  
  
Lily took this time to glance at the Slytherin table. From what she saw, they needed to have more pranks pulled on them, they were all surly and glum, certainly not the people that looked like they wanted to go here.  
  
After all the food was cleared away, Dumbledore dismissed the tables and all the first years followed a sixth year prefect. As they approached the Fat Lady he said.  
  
"Now, I don't want to be hearing that anyone has forgotten the password. It's Zinger. Everyone got that?"  
  
Everyone either nodded or said "Yeah".  
  
"Good," he said. "Now the girls will go with Elizabeth to find their dormitories and the boys will go with me."  
  
After their small tour of the Gryffindor tower, all the first years settled back into the common room. Since it was a Saturday, all of them chose to stay up late, just for it being the first day at Hogwarts. The boys were yet again listening to another of James' fableistic tales of flying and the girls really weren't doing anything. Lily decided to break the sphere of silence.  
  
"Anyone up for a good story?" Lily asked the others jovially.  
  
'Oh no,' thought Narcissa. 'Here she goes with The Mists of Avalon. Oh well, it's been worse.'  
  
"Sure" and "Why not?" came from the other girls' voices and Lily ran up to their room. She hurried back down, carrying a huge volume in her hands.  
  
"We won't be reading all of this," she added hastily as she noticed the glazed looks on their faces. Lily was flipping through pages, hundreds at a time. "We're just going to read one of my favorite parts, when Morgaine has Mordred."   
  
"Who's Mordred?" came Raquel's excited voice.  
  
"And Morgaine?" chirped up Soroya.  
  
Even as Lily explained who the people were, Narcissa never even wavered from her sister's explanation. Lily was a very good and dramatic speaker.   
  
~Same scene, only six years later~  
  
Lily had just started on the part where Morgause fought with Lot. Ever since first year, the girls in Lily had begged her to read it on their first night at the castle. The story was ageless and it sounded different every time Lily told it. Since first year, nothing had really happened. Lily and Narcissa went to Avalon for the summer, well this summer had been a bit exciting. Both Lily and Narcissa had gotten their blue crescent scars at their hair-lines last summer, but Minerva had not told to reveal themselves yet, so they hid them with their bangs.  
  
Narcissa was really pretty and had tons admirers, including the one of the most popular boys in school, Sergio Chulice. Lily, on the other hand, was equally beautiful, but she also had this razor sharp wit that made everyone, including teachers, just be awed by her. Well, almost everyone. James Potter didn't exactly agree.  
  
When Lily and Narcissa had been initiated as priestesses, Minerva had given them gifts. Narcissa had received Kevin the Bard's harp because she has never lost her love for the instrument. And Lily had gotten Igraine's moonstone necklace, which cast something like a charm on men. For some unknown reason, the only person that the necklace hadn't really worked on was James Potter. It even had Gus (Mundungus), Remus, and Sirius stare. But, as Lily always did, she found a way to insult him; she took this as a sign that he was less than a real man. Although, this wasn't true; Lily and James just hated each other to death. James was very well built and he was one of the best seekers Hogwarts had seen in about two decades. But, the girls always swooned over Sirius because he was tall and dark; the perfect man to many. The number of his admirers were only beaten by the number of Sergio's. Sergio was an excellent chaser, but didn't have a good mind. He always tried to hit on Lily in the library, but she always insulted him with big words that he had to use a dictionary to figure out. Just the basic dumb jock.  
  
Lily, Narcissa, Arabella, Raquel, and Soroya were known best for their pranks. They knew how to form them and execute them almost as well as the Marauder's did. But, everyone needed to watch out when the two groups collaborated. Last time that happened, Snape had almost been killed by Remus, who, everyone in 7th year knew, was a werewolf. They didn't really care.   
  
Minerva informed Lily at the end of her stay at Avalon for the summer that Lily needed to take fencing lessons from someone because it was written, by Morgaine, that the Dark One would challenge the Light with swords. Lily was lucky enough to find out that Remus was a superb fencer and that he was more than willing to give her lessons. So every Tuesday and Thursday night, Lily and Remus practiced, unless there was a full moon. Lily only allowed her closest friends to know that she was a priestess of Avalon. That meant everyone in her year except James. They all did fairly well in keeping the secret away from James and the rest. Unfortunately, with the fencing lessons also came the news that she couldn't visit Hogsmeade for another year. This really wasn't bad, Lily had never been to Hogsmeade, she was told be Minerva in third year that she had to stay in the castle for her own safety. Lily had even shook of Sirius's offer to sneak her out.  
  
Lily took a breath as she halted about half way through a sentence. That was when she noticed that not only the girls were listening, but almost everyone in the common room.   
  
She started the next line when someone yanked the book out of her hands. He turned the book over to look at the cover.  
  
"Don't do that," Lily protested. "You'll lose my place!"   
  
"Who would be dumb enough to read a book where women rule the land?" James snickered, even though everyone looked up at him in anger.  
  
A/N: Okay, I'm stopping there. Like I said, this wasn't a real eventful chapter. Sorry for the delay but I hope the length will make up for it. Let's see…ice cream scoopers in the shape of stars and Little River Band's 'Reminiscing' to all my reviewers. I just love y'all. And if you too would like to fell like you get odd, crazy items just review! Thanks, Epequa ;) 


	4. Chapter 4 Encrusted Ruby

Hi! I want to seriously thank all my wonderful reviewers! You guys are so cool! Today, I had a free day. 'A Walk to Remember' is a really good movie, but I warn you, it's a tearjerker. Anywho, I hope you enjoy this chapter like all the others, I had tons of fun making James look really stupid. More secrets just keep revealing themselves. Well, with all that said and done, let's go!  
  
Useless Information: Hmm… let's think for a second. Well, it's a quote, nothing new really but here it is. "There is no rose without a thorn." - Fortune Cookie  
  
Disclaimer: Just like icky, tasteless gum, if you throw me out you'll feel much better…just kidding. Everything belongs to the flavorful J.K. Rowling Berry and Marion Zimmer Bradley Chew.   
  
If Time is All We've Lost  
  
Chapter 4 - Encrusted Ruby  
  
"And how suffered for your sanity  
and how you tried to set them free.  
They wouldn't listen they would not know how,  
perhaps they'll listen now."   
Don McLean - "Vincent"  
  
Even as everyone glared at him, even Sirius and Remus, his best friends for the best years of his life, James continued to search through the book Lily had been reading. What was wrong with this girl, James didn't really know. Every girl in Hogwarts was either crazy over the Marauders, Sergio Chulice, or Lucius Malfoy. Even Narcissa had shown some interest in Remus, but Lily showed no emotion of anyone that received her affection. Remus, Gus, and Sirius were some of her best friends, like Arabella, Raquel, and Soroya. James and Lily just flat out hate each other. Even with Sergio throwing himself on her, Lily still refused his advances. And for a reason that James did not know why, he was very troubled by this.   
  
"James Arthur Potter!" Lily yelled. "Give my book back!"   
  
"Why is everyone so entranced by this book?" he pushed further, making sure he kept the book out of Lily's grasping reach. "Have you put a spell on them?"  
  
Gus, Sirius, and Remus had told Lily never to tell James that she was really a priestess of Avalon. Everyone who knew the truth about Lily and Narcissa was in silence as James made what he thought was a harmless retort.  
  
James found the page that Lily was on and began to read it aloud. "The hours dragged by. Once Morgaine went into the main hall, where Lot's men were playing knucklebones. Lot sat watching," he paused, and raised his eyebrows at the next sentence, "one of Morgause's younger waiting women in his lap and his hand playing casually with her breasts; as Morgause came in, the woman looked up apprehensively and started to slide from his knees, but Morgause shrugged, 'Stay where you are; we have no need of you among the midwives, and tonight at least I will be with my kinswoman and have," here he stopped again. Lily and the other girls knew why, since they had either heard or read the story seven years in a row now. "no leisure to argue with you over a place in his bed."  
  
And with that, Lily lunged for the book. Just as she wrenched it out of his grasp she fell to the floor. She heard James's laugh towering over her as she stood up. "Have you been contaminating your mind, oh witful one?" he asked mockingly.  
  
James was still beating off the fact that everyone was now glaring at him. "No," Lily said defiantly. "There's more to this book than sex, Potter. It's about fulfilling one's destiny and doing what's right. Although, I could not ask a simple mind to figure that one out, for it sees only what pleases it." Everyone now stared at the two.  
  
"I'm not simple minded!" James said defensively.   
  
"Prove you're not, pervert." Lily almost breathed intimidatingly.   
  
"I'm not stupid enough to give my life to an idiot, non-existing 'goddess'!" James suppressed heatedly.   
  
There were lots of audible gasps from the 7th years. Lily shot daggers at James and James himself looked scared and confused at the same time. And then they were all woken up with the sharp clap of skin against skin.  
  
Lily had slapped him straight across the face with incredible force. When James had recovered from the blow, he looked up to Lily shaking with unmistakable anger.  
  
"Take that back you, you," It was rare to see her so upset that she couldn't even insult him. "Insufferable prat!"  
  
"Excuse me," he retorted. "I would like to know why I was just slapped."   
  
"The only thing you can think of is either sick minded, belonging to the world of Quidditch, or a cursed plan to hurt someone else." James had just began to wonder where this little speech was going when…"You're exactly like Lot of Orkney himself!"  
  
Lily turned on her heel and stormed back up to the girls' dormitories with Narcissa and the others following close behind her. James took in the insult and then to Remus, Gus, and Sirius. "What did I say?"  
  
For yet another strange reason, Sirius, Gus, and Remus looked at him as if he had just attempted to murder the pope. Finally, Sirius spoke up. "James, there's something about Lily you don't know. Maybe you should never know." Sirius said it in a tone of such finality that James though he was mad at him when Sirius headed up to his room. Both Remus and Gus were nodding as they followed Sirius to their dorm.  
  
James still didn't have any clue what he had done to insult Lily and everyone else for that matter. He couldn't even remember what he could have said to insult her really. This only meant one thing to James Potter; a well thought out revenge.  
  
He decided to come up with this one on his own. Not even as much as telling Sirius, Arabella, Gus, Raquel, Soroya, Remus, or Narcissa what he was planning, not even harboring help from them. For it to truly work well, it had to be secret and to completely come from the great James Potter.  
  
Around four months later, just a week before Christmas break, Minerva summoned Narcissa to her office to discuss the fate which the Goddess had decided for her.  
  
Minerva had faith that Narcissa could make Lucius fall in love with her, was really no doubt about that. Narcissa had this capability to enrapture people with mind games. She hated having to marry her off to a death-eater, but she really had no choice. Then there was Lily. Even more stunning than ever, Lily had a sort of glow around her that made people notice her. She impressed the professors with her quick wit and immense knowledge. But her beauty and wit also put her in the worst place anybody could be in. Not only did her talents impress her teachers and peers, they also impressed Voldemort. And having her for his own is all he needed get rid of Avalon. Voldemort had been making a name for himself already as an acclaimed dark wizard for at least four years. In no time he would be able to enter into Hogwarts and take Lily. These thought surely troubled Minerva, but when she thought about it rationally, Lily was a level-headed girl. Lily knew what to do and what not to do, so why should Minerva fear? Only the Goddess could know.  
  
While Minerva was drowning herself in her complicated thoughts, there was a soft tap on the door. "Come in," Minerva said, not releasing herself from her uneasy mind. "Ah, Narcissa dear. There has been some surprising news from the Sight. Now, you may correct me if I am wrong, but did you give yourself to the will of the Goddess, to do what she commands, no matter what?"  
  
"Of course I did, Lady," Narcissa looked a little confused at the question. "As do all the priestesses to the Great Mother."  
  
"As much as I hate to tell you," Minerva breathed deeply; it was like betraying her own kin. "The Goddess has declared that you, Narcissa, are to marry Lucius Malfoy."  
  
Narcissa took the information very well. Minerva then continued. "He thinks all women stupid and useful for only one thing. You must shelter your children from that belief. Just make sure that you bear a child to the Goddess and bring him or her to me when him or her is five. They will be raised as either the next Merlin or Lady of the Lake. Lucius is a firm supporter of the dark arts and, no doubt, if you bear a son to him, he will want to push him to become a death-eater as well. Hopefully, his training in Avalon will prevent that."  
  
Narcissa looked at Minerva carefully as Minerva stopped. Minerva then hugged her foster-daughter. "Narcissa, you must understand that you have my faith and that I will help you if you need, alright?"  
  
Narcissa nodded and then left the office, as silent as she had come in. Minerva sat down behind her desk again and thought about calling Lily to her next to tell her who she was to wed. She decided against it and sunk back into her troubled worries.   
  
There was also one other flaw, as if it couldn't get worse. Lily already had shown no man that she had and love towards him, most were her friends, but in turn they were also admirers. Lily had refused advances from all of the most popular boys in school, and the worst part of that was that she had also refused advances from Snape, the one she would marry.  
  
The flaw was that Rhubat, Minerva's colleague and Snape's uncle, also knew of the plan. He hadn't come across it by eavesdrop, but by the fact that he was an active death-eater. Something that Dumbledore knew, but was not frightened of. Minerva, however, felt that he might intervene in some way…  
  
~December 24th - Gryffindor Common Room~  
  
James and Sirius were acting lazy in the common room. Everyone else was out preparing for the last Hogsmeade trip before Christmas. They were either buying their dresses or suits for the Yule Ball, sending mail to their loved ones abroad, or finishing up purchasing their gifts. Dumbledore decided to have a costume ball, not necessarily a masquerade, but at least out of the dress robes. The worst thing was that he had to go with Lily because they were Head Boy and Girl.   
  
"I'm going to go in the Great Hall with Raquel," Sirius said shortly, and he left through the portrait hall.  
  
James knew why of course. He just couldn't believe that it took Sirius three years to admit to Raquel that he had thought of her as more than a friend. Raquel had been overjoyed that one of the most handsome boys in school liked her as well. They made quite the dynamic duo, they were barely seen apart.  
  
James tried to remember where all his other friends were. Mundungus and Arabella were getting ready to go to Hogsmeade, Remus was doing something 'important' in the library, and Soroya was checking to see if she had the right color eye-shadow to match her dress for the ball.  
  
Being the kind of person he is, James decided to see what Remus was up to. Maybe he could help him with Rhubat's impossible draft essay. He walked slowly through the winding hallways towards the gigantic library, passing the moving pictures and greeting several of their occupants. Past many of the statues that held secret passages to Hogsmeade and any other place outside of the school, and finally to the library itself.  
  
He skirted his way past the nosy librarian, and, just as he reached the autobiographies, he heard the clanging of metal against metal. The scene that he met when he turned the corner surprised him more than the sound.  
  
Remus and some girl were fencing fiercely. He knew Remus was behind one of the masks, but he still couldn't make out who the girl was. They were both excellent, beating each other in turn. When Remus's sword had forced the girl to turn around, James then recognized who it was; Lily.  
  
Thousands of reasons and thoughts were chasing each other around inside his head. Why hadn't Remus told him? Was there more to this than just learning to fence? The flowing river of endless possibilities was dammed up as Lily made a promising lunge at Remus, but missed, giving Remus the last point and the match.  
  
"Lily, you let your emotions get the better of you again," Remus said wearily, panting heavily. "You can't let that happen when you're up against Voldemort, he'll kill you."  
  
"I know, I know," Lily heaved. "But, there's no reason to fight me except this," she poked her finger at the blue crescent moon at her hairline. "He would have nothing to do with me if I wasn't a priestess."  
  
"Lily, you're the only one who would be brave enough to go through this," Remus sighed, looking into Lily's lost green eyes. "I don't even think that James would even dare do this."  
  
"That's not all, Remus," she said, taking off her mask and stuffing her fencing gloves into it. "I have this awful feeling that Minerva is using me as Viviane used Morgaine. And you know what came of that. Viviane used Morgaine as a pawn and an illegitimate bastard son to the King came. Along with that, Morgaine's aunt used even him for a pawn for her own evil desires." Lily stopped abruptly. She had found herself rambling again.  
  
"Lily, Minerva would never do that to you, she loves you too much," Remus changed the subject. "Well, I've got to be off; another Hogsmeade trip again." He stopped there; it really wasn't the subject he'd wanted to explore. "Lily, I don't know why you can't come? I mean, if you had Minerva or Dumbledore around you, Voldemort wouldn't even breathe on you."  
  
"It's a bit more complicated than that," she said, brushing a few stray strands of hair that had wriggled free of her tightly plaited hair. "Minerva says there's a catch, but I don't see one. It's up to the Goddess."  
  
"I guess it is," Remus figured. "Hey, I'm stopping by Honeyduke's today, do you want me to pick you up some every flavor beans?"   
  
"Oh, yes!" she asked excitedly. "Thanks you, thank you, thank you, Remus!" She pulled him into a tight hug.  
  
"It's the least that I could do," choked Remus, exasperated at her surprise. "I've go to go. Are you going back to the Common Room?"  
  
"No," she said as she sat down in one of the tables. "I need to get started on that nasty Goblin Rebellion of 1549 for Professor Binns."  
  
"Good point," said Remus thoughtfully. "Hey, by the way, what are you going as for the costume ball?"  
  
"Total secret, Moony," she smirked wickedly. "I haven't even told Raquel, Soroya, or Arabella. But, I do know this; Arabella is going as a gypsy and Gus as her partner. Soroya is going with you know who," she winked at Remus, who blushed slightly. "And will be dressed as Egyptian princess, and lastly, Raquel and Sirius are going together, dressed as Gemini."  
  
"What about your sister?" Remus asked.  
  
"She keeps saying that she isn't going to make it, but I have a feeling she's lying to me." She shrugged her shoulders at Remus's puzzled look.  
  
"I'll be off then," Remus said, as he started to leave. "I'll see you tonight in the Common Room."  
  
"Bye, Remus," Lily turned back to her book as Remus turned to leave, but was stopped halfway, by James who had been eavesdropping.   
  
"Moony, why is Voldemort after Lily?" At first Remus was stunned that James had actually called Lily by her first name, and then he worked out what he had said.  
  
"James, if you really want to know, then ask her yourself," he noticed that James looked in Lily's direction. "I believe that our very own Mr. Potter is intrigued by the young, beautiful, and did we mention witty, Miss Evans?"  
  
"Shut up, Remus," James snapped angrily. "I'm not totally oblivious to the fact that you, yourself, are very intrigued by the Miss Soroya Ames."  
  
Remus gave him a fake sweet smile and left the library, leaving James to his own stupidity about Lily.  
  
Lily sat pouring over book after book about the Goblin Rebellions from the fourteenth century. James walked over to the table to sit across from her.  
  
"What do you want, Potter?" she said, without even looking up from her notes.  
  
"I want to know what the scar means," said James.  
  
"I never wanted to tell you," she sighed. "Oh, well. Anywho, this scar means that I am a priestess of Avalon. I studied on the island since I was four years old and have mastered the mists and herb lore, among many other things. I have a moonstone necklace from Igraine and this sickle knife for becoming a priestess."  
  
James just sat there and gaped at her and the tiny knife encrusted with rubies. So much more than he really wanted to know, but so glad that he did. Lily laughed at his glazed expression. "You know, if you turned your head slightly to the left, you would look like Sergio Chulice trying to ask me on a date."  
  
James snapped back to reality. "I can't believe you're comparing me to that…that…thing," James stuttered.  
  
"Just comes to show that what comes around, goes around. I'll see you at the dance tomorrow Potter. Bye!" she waved jovially and left the library herself.  
  
Unfortunately, James was still planning on doing his revenge the night of the ball. And in no time, it was only an hour away.  
  
Raquel, Arabella, and Soroya had made Lily agree to them doing her light make-up. Eye-shadow only and the rest she would do on her own in the bathroom. James and she had planned to meet at the ball, not in the Common Room. Lily was overjoyed to hear that Minerva would let her reveal her true self tonight. She slipped on her beautiful saffron gown with gold ribbon surrounding it, and put on Igraine's moonstone necklace. She repainted the scar with more blue dye. She had Soroya fancily plait her hair and she put a small wreath of tiny white lilies in it.  
  
She presented herself to the open-mouths and 'Wow's from the Gryffindor boys, and when she entered the Great Hall a hush fell over the entire party. Minerva and Dumbledore were smiling, and James was wishing he hadn't plot his revenge.  
  
A/N: I am so sorry this was late. Please forgive me. Well, I hope you liked that one, personally, I loved making fun of James. Well, I give my reviewers Bob the Tomato toys and tacos, because they are really good. It doesn't matter if they're soft or hard, just whatever you want. They will imaginarily delivered to your door by a UPS man in less than 2 months. I love you guys for reading and reviewing. Me such a sap! Thanks though, Epequa ;) 


	5. Chapter 5 Pricked Flesh

Hey! I feel so horrible! I was so busy with Science Fair I had absolutely no time to type chapter 5. But let me reassure you that your time waiting was definitely well spent. I hope you guys will love this chapter as much as I did writing it. So move your mouse downward and continue.  
  
Useless Information: Well, there has been some pretty cool quotes around, and I think I've got a good one. "My Karma Ran Over My Dogma." - Bumper Sticker  
  
Disclaimer: One of my teachers wants to ask around to see if I can get this published! All her idea, not mine. Anyway, everything except a few of Mary Sues belongs to J.K. Rowling and Marion Zimmer Bradley.  
  
If Time is All We've Lost  
  
Chapter 5 - Pricked Flesh  
  
"Friday Night, it was late,  
I was walking you home,  
We got down to the gate,  
And I was dreaming of the night,  
Would it turn out right?  
How to tell you girl,  
I want to build my world around you."  
~ Little River Band - 'Reminiscing'  
  
'Great,' James thought. 'She looks stunning and now my stupid male 'thing' has to get in the way.'  
  
But no matter how much James's better half argued, he convinced himself to go on with his planned revenge for Lily. It really wasn't much, just a few drops of poison, but he had no idea what would come of it in the end, what lives were permanently scarred by it.  
  
The Great Hall was elaborately decorated with a gold and forest green theme, and yet, for an odd reason, no Slytherins were on the decorating committee, go figure. Tiny and enormous trees surrounded the Hall, decorated with elaborate little gold ornaments and fairies. Lily loved the way the ball had come out, everyone getting their own groove on the dance floor. The only thing that could trouble Lily tonight was the nagging feeling that her sister wasn't happy.   
  
It wasn't as if Lily could just ask Narcissa what she was going. Narcissa didn't even change in the Gryffindor tower, she imagined. But every time the haunting thought approached her, she shook it off with the firm belief that she was sick, but, for some unknown reason, it wasn't sufficient.   
  
Minerva had been quite excited today. After the reassurance that Narcissa would have Lucius twined around her fingers she only had the task of telling Lily that she was going to marry Snape. Although she had had a strange, well stranger than normal, encounter with the ever-changing Sight. It contained only two things; the word 'Soon' and a black cloak.  
  
The black cloak instantly made her think of Voldemort, but with Dumbledore around, she really had no fear for Lily's life. Voldemort knew the power that Dumbledore had, surely he wasn't planning on facing him on his own?  
  
But the 'Soon' thing she was even less worried about. He hadn't seen or touched Lily since she was ten years old, why should he come here to her at age 18? The whole thing gave her an immense migraine, so she stopped worrying and tried to enjoy the ball.  
  
The feasting lasted only an hour, with the usual food gracing the table. Lily and James went through the whole thing without calling each other any names. Lily, as usual, was very jovial and talkative, while James was, for another strange reason, rather quiet and solitude.  
  
When the dancing began, Lily and James made their way to open the ball. They danced perfectly, barely touching the floor with their feet. No talking about the gazes from the hundreds of eyes, but just what looked like a very thoughtful dance. After that, the music selection started to grow into more group dancing.   
  
After about an hour, the friends from Gryffindor were all worn out and decided to get drinks. (All except for Arabella and Mundungus, they had disappeared about 30 minutes ago.)  
  
"Wait, Lily," It was almost painful calling her by her first name. "I'll get your drink for you."  
  
"Okay," said Lily suspiciously. She wasn't the only one that was looking at him weirdly; that party included Remus, Sirius, Raquel, and Soroya.  
  
James returned about five minutes later with two flasks full of ice cold pumpkin juice. Lily, still wondering where this random act of kindness could come from and what he had done to the juice, drank a tiny sip from it.  
  
"This tastes a little strange," said Lily, looking into it as if it had a severed hand in it. "Here Raquel, you try it and tell me what you think."  
  
She handed the jeweled goblet to Raquel and Raquel sipped it warily as Lily had done. The moment the juice touched her lips, she fell straight to the ground in a dead faint.  
  
Soroya screamed and Sirius caught her, and then came that all too familiar sound of Lily's hand against James's jaw. "You idiotic, worthless, incompetent bastard!" Lily yelled at him. But then she had a moment of realization; if Raquel wasn't given a subsequent antidote, then as soon as all the poison had entered her blood, she would be gone. Lily racked her mind and then started giving orders.  
  
"Soroya, get me 2 rose petals, there still should be some in the gardens," Lily looked up expectantly at her and she took off. "Sirius, get me two large glasses full of hot mulled wine, the house elves in the kitchen should be happy to give it to you. Hurry!" She called to his retreating back.  
  
"Remus, 4 sprigs of juniper from outside and Potter, two needles," She said hurriedly.  
  
"Where would I find needles?" said James.  
  
"Wherever you can! Just get them they're the most important part!"  
  
As James ran towards the door, everyone in the Hall turned their heads to scene that was happening with them. Even Narcissa, who was with Lucius and his group of friends, had had a couple of worried glances at her. Minerva, though, had to be the most worried. She leaned over to Dumbledore.  
  
"Merlin, don't you think we should intervene," she whispered.  
  
"Never in the slightest, my dear," Dumbledore whispered back, boring into her with his light blue eyes. "Lily can do this, she already knows what needs to happen and she's tremendously calm. She's doing fine."  
  
So with that very unsatisfying answer, Minerva leaned back into her chair, said a quick prayer to the Goddess, and took a deep breath. She then turned her attention on how the whole thing turned out.  
  
Lily kept desperately feeling Raquel's wrist for a pulse. It was still there, but it was growing fainter every time she checked. Sirius arrived with the wine first, then James with the needles, Remus with juniper, and Soroya with half-dead rose petals.  
  
She set the two cups on the floor and added one rose petal and two juniper rootlets to them. Everyone in the hall was now staring at her, even Lucius's gang were silent, waiting for the ending, and Narcissa who was white with fear. she feverishly tore the petals in three places and dipped the juniper in nine times before adding the whole thing.  
  
Last of all, she pricked her finger, unflinchingly, as if she couldn't feel it, then Raquel's. Even the almost lifeless body of Raquel flinched when she did so. A single drop of blood into the owner's cup and then Lily swirled them both around.  
  
Lily drank hers quickly, gulping down the drowsy concoction. Licking the excess from her lips she managed to say, "Remus, Sirius sit her up."  
  
They did so and put a little in Raquel's mouth. 'Please swallow…' Lily kept praying, but she wasn't. The antidote kept dripping down her front. Lily knew she had to find a way to get her to drink it and there was only one way.  
  
She put a mouthful of the drink into Raquel's mouth, closed it, and then pressed her hand to Raquel's throat. It worked and within five minutes, Raquel was coughing and sputtering.   
  
When they had sat her in a chair and told her the story, she hugged all of them. She kept thanking Lily for saving her. James noticed that no one had mentioned that he had put the poison. He would have thought that Lily, in the least, would have told her. When James caught Lily's eye, who was kneeling next to Raquel, Lily looked up at him and half-smiled, half-smirked at him. Then she lowered her gaze and went back to the conversation.   
  
Throughout the night, James wanted to apologize to Lily, but she busied herself. She danced with Ethan, one of her oldest friends, and she talked to a few Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs about the potion. She was never away from her friends for the whole night, until…  
  
James saw his opportunity. Lily was standing near the entrance staring at someone, who it was, James couldn't tell. She wasn't smiling but she had a faint trace of a smirk on her face.  
  
"Evans," James said. "Do you mind if we talk? Alone."  
  
"Ah, if it isn't the comeback king himself," said Lily, still not taking her eyes off whomever she was watching. "What did you think I learned at Avalon? How to put on liquid eyeliner?"  
  
"Well," James sighed. "No."  
  
"I'll come," she said, breaking her eye contact. "If you promise not to hex or curse me."  
  
"I solemnly swear," he said.  
  
They left the Entrance Hall together and headed towards one of the balconies. They were passing a statue of Ulnae the Undecided when Lily suddenly stopped.  
  
"What is it?" asked James when he noticed that Lily was no longer beside him.  
  
"Excuse me, Potter, but growing up on Avalon I have developed certain talents. One of those is to tell when unseen people are in my presence and my scar twinged. Oh, well…"  
  
"Sirius, Remus, Peter, and I have made a map that will see people, invisible or not." He said proudly.  
  
"I've underestimated you, Potter," Lily said, concentrating on where she was going. "I need to apologize for calling you Lot of Orkney."  
  
"That's fine," he shrugged. "I'm sure people call me worse things, they just can't tell them to my face."  
  
"In your position it's not hard to get insults is it?" she asked him interestedly. "Quidditch captain, Head Boy, and yet, the only one that can truly insult you is the Head Girl."  
  
"I will not say that that isn't true," she looked up at him and smiled. "And I need to apologize for that little 'prank' I pulled on you. I didn't mean for it to go that far and I seriously forgot that Raquel was deadly allergic to all poison."  
  
"You're not the first that's tried to hurt me," Lily said solemnly. They had reached the balcony now, but it still hadn't gotten them out of earshot enough to not hear the loud music in the Hall.  
  
"How so?" he asked, fully interested.  
  
"Voldemort's there but he hasn't really hurt me, but the threat has, but another has hurt even more…" she trailed off.  
  
"Tell me," he wasn't exactly being comforting, he was making her recall the worst day of her life, he was really curious though.  
  
"Do you have a normal family, James?" this was really the first time she had ever called him by his first name. Startled a bit by the odd question, he took a few seconds to respond.  
  
"Pretty normal, I guess," he said. "I've got an older sister and a younger sister, a mom, and a dad."  
  
"Normal is the last thing you could call my 'family'," she stopped for a second. "When Narcissa and I were four, we found out that our mother had made a deal with Minerva. Minerva came to take us to Avalon. The night before we left she told us that she would always love us. When I came back six years later, she dismissed me as her daughter and didn't even ask why Narcissa had died. Narcissa seemed to feel the same way about our parents as our parents felt about us, so she told me to tell them that she had died. Then Minerva became my only family, and all my sisters on Avalon, but now I am hundreds of miles away from Avalon, my sister is doing Minerva's bidding, and now I think that Minerva is either going to betray my trust like she did Narcissa or she'll use me as a pawn, without me knowing, just like Viviane used Morgaine."  
  
When Lily finally finished, a cold, eerie silence hung in the frosty air.  
  
A/N: Well, that's it for now, I hope you enjoyed it. Umm… thin blue markers and yo-yos to my reviewers. I LOVE yo-yos! Happy Valentine's Day to all, it's techniquely not Valentine's day yet, but oh well. There will be some actual romance in the next chapter, but of course there's a drawback so…Thanks to all who reviewed! Love you guys as usual! Spread the word that If Time is All We've Lost has a new chapter! Love and Thanks, Epequa ;) 


	6. Chapter 6 Cerulean Sky

Hi! I can't believe I have 31 reviews! Please, if you have any suggestions, tell me. You can email or just include it in your review. For those that have read 'The Mists of Avalon', Lily was dressed as Igraine for the ball. For those that haven't, Igraine is King Arthur's mom. Just needed to clarify that. You guys are so awesome! Here goes chapter 6 in which a lot of things happen. That's pretty much it. If that tiny little summary is enough for you, then you can back out and read another story, but if you're actually interested in why, when, and where these things happen, then you can read on.  
  
Useless Information: I finally found a quote that went along with this chapter, sort of. Here it is: There is nothing half so sweet in life as Love's Young Dream." - T. Moore  
  
Disclaimer: This disclaimer is based on the song "I got a name" by Jim Croche. (Heck, I don't even own that idea!) Like J.K. Rowling and Marion Zimmer Bradley, I got a story, I got a story. But everything belongs to them and I just get the addiction of people liking my story!  
  
A/N: The chapter name is brought to you by one of my lovely reviewers, thistlemeg!  
  
If Time is All We've Lost  
  
Chapter 6 - Cerulean Sky  
  
"I'm up on the tight wire  
One side's ice and one is fire  
It's a circus game with you and me.  
I'm up on the tight rope,  
One side's hate and one is hope,  
But the top hat on my head is all you see.  
And the wire seems to be the only place for me,  
A comedy of errors and of falling.  
Well, maybe you're just too blind to see."  
- 'Tight Rope' ~ Leon Russell  
  
James just gaped, open-mouthed at her. He thought he had problems, getting the snitch in Quidditch, or not arriving late at the Head meetings. But this girl had endured more in 17 years (A/N: I think messed up in chapter 5, back to the story) than most people went through in their whole life. Love was something that she really hadn't been introduced to since she was four. Minerva had her trust, but not her love. She loved her sister, but it was almost becoming automatic. But James had held a secret from her, well from everyone at that.   
  
And yet, the most amazing thing was that she didn't show any emotion about the subject. No hate, fear, or sadness; just a placid, emotionless face stared back at James.  
  
"There's never someone who cares to listen and understand?" James whispered, why, he didn't really know.   
  
"Exactly, no one stopped and took a second glance," She said, looking at him.  
  
"How do you hide what you feel?" He was now even more astounded than he had ever been.  
  
"Taught on the Isle of Avalon," she thought that a very weird question but answered it anyway. "But how come I make fun of those, other than my closest friends, when they show emotions? Why shouldn't I care and console that person?"  
  
"No one has ever paid attention to your eyes," he answered simply.  
  
"No one except the last person in Hogwarts that would even stop to care," Lily smiled up at him.  
  
"I noticed in our fifth year. When I pretended not to care, I was really trying to figure out how your mind worked," this time she looked at him with genuine surprise. "I'm dead serious. Well, I don't mean Sirius is dead, but you get the point. As soon as I learned how to hate you, I wanted to see if there was a way for you to love."  
  
"I can't believe I underestimated you that much," she almost laughed in relief. "That proves that there is always more than the eye can see. I thought I was hiding something, but you've blown me away James."  
  
There was a silent pause, a very awkward pause at that, after Lily called him James. It was really the first time she had done so without having a negative tone in her voice. Then soft music could be heard from the Great Hall.  
  
"That must be one of the last songs of the night," Lily sighed, it was finally over. "It's one of my favorites."  
  
"Same here," he looked intently at her. "Would you mind to dance?"  
  
"Not at all," she said. Lily took his hand in hers, while his other wrapped around her waist. Her other reached toward his shoulder as they began a dance. If there was one thing they could do together, it was dancing.  
  
'It's a little bit funny…'  
  
The moonlight seemed to envelop every step they took, as if nature and the Goddess both approved of it.  
  
'This feeling inside…'  
  
There was so much more to both of them than the other knew, it was kind of scary.  
  
'I'm not one of those who can easily hide…'  
  
What would have been animosity forever,  
  
'I don't have much money, but if I did…'  
  
formed itself into the most complicated version of…  
  
'I'd buy a big house where we both could live…'  
  
friendship and…  
  
'If I was sculptor, but then again no, or a man who makes potions in a travelling show…'  
  
most amazingly…  
  
'I know it's not much, but it's the best I can do. My gift is my song and this one's for you…'  
  
love.  
  
'And you can tell everybody  
that this is your song,  
it may be quite simple, but  
now that it's done.  
  
I hope you don't mind,  
I hope you don't mind,  
That I put down in words,  
How wonderful life is, now you're in the world…'  
  
"James, this isn't fake is it?" she looked meaningfully into his eyes.  
  
'I sat on the roof, and kicked of the moss, well, a few of the verses, well they've got me quite cross…'  
  
"Lily, if you love and are loved back, you are richer than any queen or king that has ever spent time on the earth," he thought about the situation for a moment. "What is so fearful about love to you?"  
  
'But the sun's been quite nice while I wrote this song, it's for people like you that keep it turned on…'  
  
"There's a story that keeps reappearing in my Sights…  
  
'Excuse me, forget, but these things I do, you see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue…'  
  
"Among better parts in the tales and stories of Avalon, one holds a story about listening, and what happens to those who don't…"  
  
'Anyway, the thing is, what I really mean, those are the sweetest guys I've ever seen…'  
  
She stopped and her eyes widened, as if she just noticed something wrong.  
  
'And you can tell anybody  
that this is your song.  
It may be quite simple, but  
Now that it's done.  
  
I hope you don't mind,  
I hope you don't mind,  
That I put down in words,  
How wonderful life is,  
Now you're in the world.  
  
I hope you don't mind,  
I hope you don't mind,  
That I put down in words,  
How wonderful life is,  
Now you're in the world.'  
  
They finished their dance and then sat on the stone barrier. Lily began to explain why she had been so apprehensive about him. "The story is about Gwenivere, and how she took no heed to Morgaine's warnings. She was to visit a man who claimed to be her brother at her old home. Morgaine said that she should take an entourage, but Gwenivere thought that it would be no more than a short conversation outside, so she rebuked Morgaine's words and left with only a few escorts and a young waiting lady, in case she needed to stay overnight."  
  
"What happened?" asked James apprehensively.  
  
"He raped her," Lily almost cried out. "He was killed, but still…"  
  
She was searching around desperately for a reason for her fear. "He was harmless, and I've seen what you're capable of, in your ways of thinking and things, and I don't mean to be rude, but the caution is still to be taken…" she trailed off.  
  
"I see your point, but why would I do it?" James asked, wanting more than that tiny answer.  
  
"You're friends with Peter Pettigrew," she said, she knew that there was going to be a lot of suspicion about when she finished. "There is something about him I really don't like. He almost thrusts himself into the Marauders, I mean you had to help him become an animagus and everything, I'm not saying he's not bright but, there's a mystery about him, there has to be."  
  
"Okay, anything else?" James waited expectantly.  
  
"Her 'brother' was someone that she knew hardly anything about him and in that way, he was able to get her exactly where he wanted her." She looked down in an ashamed sort of way.  
  
"Lily, I will never betray you, got that?" he laid his hand on hers. "No matter what happens, I'll be there to listen. Even if I have a Quidditch Game the next day and two star charts to complete, I'll stop and listen."   
  
"James, you don't think the inevitable might be happening, do you?" she said as their fingers entwined together.  
  
"What's the inevitable?" he said, mildly surprised.  
  
"Us, falling in love," she answered.  
  
"You mean this…" And just as his lips softly touched hers, the most unwelcome news was watching them. It wasn't Malfoy or Snape, not Voldemort or Dumbledore, but…  
  
~About five minutes before the kiss~  
  
Minerva had been searching for Lily everywhere. She had walked around the Great Hall at least twelve times. She decided to go beyond there and out into one of the closest corridors. Lily was a responsible person, and she doesn't go far away from other people with someone she doesn't know. Minerva finally spotted two figures sitting out on the balcony. She noticed one as Lily. Just as she was about to approach them, they kissed.   
  
"Oh, no," She whispered. She thought that she could have Lily refrain from ever truly loving someone. This was the last thing she would have thought could happen.  
  
She saw the two figures moving towards where she stood. She stepped out and said. "Miss Evans, I must have a private conversation with you immediately, Mr. Potter, will you please excuse us?"  
  
"Of course, Professor," he kissed Lily's hand as he left.  
  
Minerva saw Lily blush as James walked towards the Gryffindor Common Room. 'Ah… I remember being in love like that… Look at me now… I can't let her turn out the same way… she must learn that there are more powerful forces in the world than love… And how to use them.'  
  
"Lily, you know that you have a task in life. Do you know what it is?" She asked hurriedly.  
  
"Yes, Lady," Lily answered, dumbstruck. "To do as the Goddess wills and to produce an heir to the royal line of Avalon."  
  
"Lily," Why was this so hard? "You must marry Snape to keep the royal line flowing, it is as the Goddess wills."  
  
Lily stared at Minerva, horrified. "The Goddess would not torture one of her priestesses that way!"  
  
"It's what She wants," said Minerva calmly.  
  
"She wants me to renounce Avalon?" Lily said hotly.  
  
"No, She wants to keep her kingdom on earth alive and the way you can help is to keep your promise and produce an heir of royal blood," Minerva still stayed calm.  
  
"If it's about blood, then I see no reason why it couldn't be James's child! He's of noble parentage!" Lily argued.  
  
"Not what She wants," Minerva refused.  
  
"I'm not marrying Snape, for I see no difference in marrying him or James for a child to the Goddess," Minerva glared back at her. "I will not renounce the Goddess or my faith, but I renounce that I ever loved you! You use me like Morgaine was used and I will not be a pawn in your power games! Done is done and I have no regrets about my decision!" And with that she stormed up the stairs.  
  
Minerva had lost another, for she had taken the command in the wrong way. There was no changing Lily's mind now. Minerva just had to be patient and see what the Goddess would bestow on Lily and what knowledge and wisdom She would grant her in this new dilemma.  
  
Lily couldn't believe it. Minerva had commanded Lily to do something only for power. James had shown her that there was more to life than just power, there was love to live for. Just as she was passing the Great Hall, she met her sister coming up from the dungeons, or, more specific, the Slytherin Common Room.  
  
"What were you doing down there?" She asked.  
  
"Trying to fall in love with my future husband," Narcissa answered simply and was surprised to see Lily's scared face. "What?"  
  
"She did it to you too?" said Lily incredulously. "No, sister, Why?"  
  
"It is my fate for the Goddess's will," Narcissa said, just as calmly as Minerva had been earlier. "I will be transferring to Slytherin tomorrow and will reside there for the rest of my time here at Hogwarts."  
  
Lily couldn't take it she had lost both her foster mother and sister in one dreadful night. She pelted up the stairs, staircases ahead of Narcissa, and burst into the Heads room, barely having enough time to yell the password at the solid wall with the gold, bronze, iron, and silver sconce and the candle that burned the House colors.  
  
James looked up from his Muggle Studies homework (Could the unmagical [muggles] survive without peanut butter?) and saw Lily clamber through the archway of stone.  
  
"Hey, James," she said breathlessly as she plopped down on the couch beside him. "Remember that 'No matter what I'll listen thing'? It looks like I'm ready for a test drive.  
  
And with that, Lily told James of what had happened, and they just talked. With nothing to hide from each other, they had become as inseparable as a retainer to the roof of its owner's mouth. And then came in the impossible chance of love when power was the reason that could possibly ruin it all in the end.  
  
A/N: Wow! That was really fun! Anyways, ten billion crates of 'Thanks' to my reviewers, but that's not all. Most people would expect to pay 1/7 of their life savings for this odd package of gifts that will never come to their doorstep. But the package, which includes one ticket on the midnight train to Georgia and those fresh smelly thingys you plug into the wall, but you also get A BASKET THAT APPEARS TO MADE OF CINNAMON STICKS!!!!! Hope everyone's enjoying the Olympics as much as I am. And happy February 19th to everyone! Love, thanks, and sincerity (from me, yeah right!) Epequa ;) 


	7. Chapter 7 Bruised Purple

A/N: Thank you guys so much for your reviews! I'm glad you guys liked that chapter and I'm pretty sure there will be better ones to come. James was doing homework because that's who he is…sorry to thistlemeg for not being able to get a chapter out on her birthday, February 22. Hope this one's content makes up for its belatedness. Please, read and review and I could not be happier with my 39 reviews, but I have a craving for them and if you feel just a tad bit generous, then please review! Hither we go!  
  
Useless Information: Yay! Another Quote! "You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have roses." -Ziggy  
  
Disclaimer: The real authors, J.K. Rowling and Marion Zimmer Bradley, get paid in dollars and pounds. I get paid for using their characters and/or plot in reviews from people I don't know. THANK YOU PEOPLE I DON'T KNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
If Time is All We've Lost  
  
Chapter 7 - Bruised Purple  
  
"Whenever I call you friend,  
I begin to think I understand,  
Anywhere we are, you and I   
will always be, ever and ever.  
I see myself within your eyes."  
  
Life was slowly entering back into its stupor and the next five months passed in an unchanging blur. Lily and James had become little more than friends. Unfortunately, the unwelcome advances from Snape were just as awful as ever, and he even seemed like he had got the idiotic impression that when Lily said 'No' it meant 'Make more passes at me.'  
  
Narcissa's sudden departure left most of the Gryffindor house in quite a shock, but Narcissa was very indifferent about the whole affair. Lucius was know giving her gifts and Arabella and Lily seriously thought that he would be proposing anytime now.   
  
Potions classes were now becoming one of the most dreaded times of the week. Snape was just as awful as ever and Lucius was now taking Narcissa's decision as a reason to make fun of the Gryffindor house. He noted that they must have thrown out Narcissa because she was the only one that would ruin their reputation of always having ugly and stupid students.  
  
It got so bad one time that Sirius and James decided to take drastic action. They were having a particularly bad day because they could not get the Marauder's Map to work. They had all tried to get it back to normal, and Peter had even tried an anti-dark arts spell. What was really odd was that he didn't answer when Remus asked him where he had learned such an advanced spell.  
  
Rhubat had split them up into pairs, which, unlike his usual wretched self, weren't quite that bad. Well, except for Lily who was paired with Snape, but he had placed Arabella and Sirius together and James and Raquel.  
  
They were making an Alert Glow potion, which enabled them to see where either tragic had occurred or was about to take place. Lily seriously didn't understand why they were making it, it seemed very useless. And with Snape, although very good at potions, or so he seemed, breathing down her neck, it wasn't exactly fun. James, Raquel, Arabella, and Sirius were all fed up with Snape and when they saw Snape lean in to kiss her, James and Sirius both threw their Octopus pancreas's at him. Lily saw them flailing at her just in time to duck. The two octopus innards hit Snape full in the face.   
  
There was a bit of an uproar after everyone realized what had happened. Lucius and Sirius were about to hurl curses at each other. Ruth Mascen was trying to help Lily up. When Snape had gotten the realization that he wasn't kissing Lily, he had ended up kicking her stool over. Lily had hit the back of her head and was lapsing in and out of consciousness.   
  
"Silence!" Rhubat roared. "Mr. Black and Mr. Malfoy, take your seats. Miss Mascen, leave Miss Evans alone. Miss Brice, escort Mr. Snape up to the hospital wing." He turned to examine what had happened, not taking any notice to Lily, still lying on the floor.  
  
"What about Lily, sir?" Arabella asked desperately.  
  
"She's fine," he smirked unpleasantly. "If she can work her magic at the ball, I don't see why she can't do it unconsciously." There was the loud sound of snickers from the Slytherin side of the room.  
  
Underneath the nearest table, Narcissa slipped Arabella a potion. Arabella went straight to Lily, forcing the liquid into her mouth, which she clumsily drank. In a few minutes, Lily was up and rubbing a huge bruise that was appearing on her head.  
  
"Let's see here," again, that scathing smirk of Rhubat's had come back on his face. "James Potter for throwing the specimen at Mr. Snape, 50 points from Gryffindor and 2 weeks detention." It was almost sickening to see his smugness creep upon his face as he approached Lily. "And for you, Miss Evans, 20 points, and 2 weeks detention for obviously knowing what was going on."   
  
Lily opened her lips to let out an indignant plea, but Rhubat silenced her. "Be glad it isn't more." The Gryffindors were glaring at Rhubat. Lily tried her best to complete the potion with the splitting migraine she had to deal with.   
  
When the bell rung, all her friends had to help her to the hospital wing where Madam Pomfrey made a tremendous fuss over her injury. Soroya was staring at Lily's other maladies. There were cuts down her left arm where she had landed on a broken bottle.  
  
"What kind of professor would keep a student in class that was in this kind of condition?" Madam Pomfrey hustled over to shoo them off. "Out, OUT! She needs immediate care if she is to be at school tomorrow!"  
  
As they all scrambled out of the hospital wing and towards dinner, they couldn't believe what suspicions the last potions class had brought. They sat down to steak and kidney pie. They all poked at their food, but never had a chance to eat a bite.  
  
First it was the Slytherins skirting over. They were all laughing, except Narcissa. James looked her straight in the eye and saw the pain and fear she held for her sister. He turned to see that most everyone at the table had noticed as well.  
  
"She didn't want to go to Slytherin," Remus whispered. "Something or someone forced her to leave, because, by the way she looks, she's not exactly thrilled."  
  
James had started to dwell on the words that he had overheard Lily say about and to Minerva, and he had no doubt that Remus was doing the same.   
  
"Why is Rhubat so ruthless to her?" Raquel breathed. "Do you think it has something to do with Snape?"  
  
"Of course it does," said Gus easily. "Rhubat obviously knows that his nephew isn't getting what he wants and he's willing to punish or hurt all that stand in his way."  
  
As soon as Gus finished his sentence, Lily walked up to the table. "I'll be up in the common room. I really need to talk to Raquel, Soroya and Arabella. There's something about this whole thing that I think I've just figured out."  
  
Lily took a single slice of bread and then set off toward the common room. Raquel noticed a few of the Slytherins, mainly Lucius, Lankin, Snape(who had just been released from the hospital wing as well) Marion Brice, and Narcissa, who was apparently hiding in the back, had started to slither(A/N: couldn't resist the pun!) over to the Gryffindor table.  
  
"Have we hurt your precious Lily?" Lankin said, his lips curling into an awful smile.  
  
"Or have we wandered onto uncharted territory?" Lucius teased; James's blood was almost at it's boiling point.  
  
"She's fair game," Snape said. The octopus parts had seemed to give a very nasty, pink rash.   
  
"What do you know about love or caring for other people?" Soroya said, placing her hands on her hips.   
  
"That's not the point, got it, Miss Ghandi?" Lucius said and several gasps followed the insult.  
  
"You wouldn't dare speak to anyone like that, Malfoy, I thought your parents taught you respect?" Remus sputtered.  
  
"Sticking up for your girlfriend, Lupin? I was taught to show respect to those who deserved it, not muggle-lovers and mudbloods." Lucius's words rolled off his tongue as if he was using Avada Kadavra on them.   
  
That was it, James's breaking point was finally broke. James made a promising jump at Lucius, but Lucius saw it coming, and moved just in time to have James fall at his feet. This had brought a new wave of happiness for the Slytherins.  
  
"James Potter, exactly where you'll get with your attitude…at my feet, begging for mercy," Lucius chuckled gleefully.  
  
"You wish," James said shortly. It was then that Professor Rhubat came over to break up the little argument that was going on.  
  
"Gryffindors, leave unless you want more points taken away from your house, and Potter, I expect you and Miss Evans at my office promptly at 8:00 P.M., no exceptions, every night for the next two weeks. Now leave before you are missed!"  
  
With scowls on every single one of their faces, the Gryffindors started to the Common Room. The Slytherins began to disappear as well. As soon as all of the students were out of the Great Hall, Rhubat raised his wand to wave the lights out.  
  
He stopped at the door and muttered "Perfect," and then the light disappeared from the hall as he muttered "Nox," to his wand. He turned on his heel and seemed to be scurrying somewhere before his appointed detentions with Lily and James.  
  
~In the Gryffindor Common Room~  
  
When Arabella, Soroya, and Raquel arrived in the Common Room they went straight up to the false wall that hid the 'secret' Heads entrance to the Common Room. The boys kept rather quiet and to themselves as they worked on their homework. Every one in a while Gus would ask Sirius to explain a wand movement or James would tell Remus how to kill off a crab-eating shrub.  
  
But back in the Heads Room, it was totally different. Lily was telling her suspicions to the girls and they were listening without a peep.  
  
"I've got this feeling that Rhubat is a death-eater, but its more than a hunch," Soroya's already large hazel eyes widened even more. "While I was in the hospital wing, I had a meeting with the Sight. It was very clear, and it had a form of Rhubat with the dark mark on it. The Sight has been wrong before so I want to check it. Will you guys come down to the library with me on the Saturday after my detention finishes up?"  
  
"Yeah, sure I will," said Raquel and Soroya nodded in agreement.   
  
"I will, but I want to know why after your detention is over?" asked Arabella, apparently very puzzled about it.  
  
"If I find something out before my detention is over, he may discover that I'm cottoning on. And there he has plenty of chances to get to me, with James only there. I can't bring you with me there, so I think we should wait after my sentence." Lily finished, awaiting the girls' response.  
  
"We don't tell the boys, got it?" said Arabella, and everyone in the room answered in agreement.  
  
"They might be more of a hassle," Raquel said, with her usual smirk.  
  
"I'll make the invisibility potion, earlier on Friday night, that way we won't waste any time," Soroya announced, and with that they all left, and within an hour, Lily and James had started their two-week work.  
  
Nothing out of the ordinary happened over the past two weeks. They were unable to use magic of course, but neither one complained when they had to stew giblets in rose water. On the last Tuesday left in their sentence, they had to search for blue and greenbonnet flobberworms for pickling and on Wednesday night, they had to go in the Forbidden Forest, hoping to find enough aconite to replenish Rhubat's personal storage.  
  
The last day brought the most excitement of that whole week, but it wasn't the fun type of excitement.  
  
Lily had just finished putting the label on some Chimera hairs and James was rinsing out some jars that had once contained a putrid mixture of freshwater trout bones and violet seeds.   
  
"Professor," Lily said, a tiny bit cautiously. "Which shelf do I need to put the Chimera hairs on?"  
  
Instead of answering her simple question, Rhubat grabbed her left wrist, the one that was holding the jar, and twisted painfully, crushing her hand between his strong, spindly fingers.  
  
James looked up instantly at what was going on as soon as he hear the glass jar break and the shards of glass, although Rhubat didn't seem to notice that James was staring at the actions he had taken towards Lily.  
  
"You marry my nephew," Rhubat threatened, "or you don't marry at all!" He took a hippogriff talon and cut a slash on the fourth finger of her left hand. He flung her into an overloaded shelf, which landed on her foot, since she had tried to avoid it. Bleeding and broken, Lily did her best to stand up.  
  
Rhubat looked at James as if he'd just noticed that James was in the same room as he was.  
  
"Potter!" Rhubat snarled. "If you dare speak a word of this to anyone, you fate with be worse than hers, that's not a threat, but a promise."  
  
And with that, Rhubat swept out of the dungeons. James helped Lily up to the hospital wing once again. When Madam Pomfrey asked how Lily had twisted her ankle and cut her lower finger, James said that she had fallen on one of the trick steps.   
  
Tut-tutting about the safety of students, Madam Pomfrey left to get her bottle of Skele-Mend. Lily motioned for James to come nearer to her bed.  
  
"James," she whispered. "Thank you for all that you've done so far, but I must ask you to put your life in danger. Tell Sirius, Arabella, Gus, Raquel, Remus, and Soroya what really happened. You have my promise that no harm will come to you because of it. Tell Arabella, Soroya, and Raquel that I will be back tomorrow and that the plan is still on."  
  
"Mr. Potter!" Madam Pomfrey practically squealed. Lily gave James a small smile as he was being shoved out by the nurse.   
  
James did as he was instructed, although very puzzled about what they all meant. He thought that maybe this could be the time when the Marauder's Map would start working again. It was the only way that the boys could see what the girls had planned for that night. But the sinking feeling of doubt kept pounding in James's stomach.  
  
The night came and Soroya's potion worked perfectly. They had decided to go to the library and into the books which kept a current list of death-eaters. Only those willing to seek, respect, and praise it could actually work it. That was something that they thought even Dumbledore didn't know.  
  
They snuck down to the library without making a sound. James, who had told the boys of his feeling, had woken them all up and they were know staring silently and unblinkingly at the piece of parchment. Peter, unfortunately, was no where to be found, but, knowing him, they had all figured that he had made his way into Hogsmeade for a late night butterbeer, as he hated to deal with the house elves.  
  
Lily pulled out the book and began to read just as the invisibility potion began to wear off. The boys vaguely noticed Raquel, Soroya, and Arabella all crowded around the table that Lily was sitting at.   
  
Lily began to read the last names. "There's McNair, Drumes, Charter, Wordren, and… what! There's supposed to be the names of the other 30 known death-eaters. It's been ripped ou…" before Lily could finish her proclamation, the all too familiar spindly fingers clasped tightly around her mouth.  
  
"No more being heroine, Miss Evans," said Rhubat's evil sneer. "You and your friends have a little appointment with the Dark Lord Voldemort himself, and, from what I understand, he'll be most delighted to see you, and to talk to you…among other things." And that smirk reappeared, which always seemed to pop up at times that were the very worst for Lily and, practically, anyone else.  
  
All the boys tore for the door, James grabbing the map and the Invisibility Cloak, for the library. Voldemort had exactly what he wanted, the plan was going as smoothly as he had first planned it almost 7 years ago, but it was getting it that was going to be hard.   
  
A/N: That was a really good chapter, well I thought it was. For all my lovely reviewers I give you a bottle of tears from a clown and chalk. I hope that thistlemeg had a very enjoyable birthday! I hope that you all had a very enjoyable February 26th! Love ya, as always! I should be working on chapter 8 soon (it's bound to be the best chapter yet!) and it will be no short explanation of what's going on with Voldemort. This was the chapter that inspired me to write the whole thing! Anywho, Love and Thanks, Epequa ;) 


	8. Chapter 8 Sliver Sickle

Hey! I can see that you guys really liked that chapter and the best is yet to come, at least I think so. I need to kiss each of your shoes because I am the worst author in the world. I want to thank those who reviewed, I love you all. (or as it is known in the south y'all) This is the chapter that inspired me to write the whole story, which, I will tell you now, will not be stopping at the deaths of Lily and James. I hope you enjoy this chapter the most, for I spent at least a month writing it, amidst a cold and scratchy throat. To answer someone's question on the last chapter, Rhubat got away with everything because he never told Dumbledore what he was really doing, as Voldemort instructed him to do. So little to enjoy, so much time to enjoy it, wait, strike that, reverse it!  
  
Useless Information: Well, I have arrived with yet another quote… "Maturity begins to grow when you can sense your concern for others outweighing your concern for yourself." - John MacNaughton  
  
Disclaimer: Just like pleather and faux fur, I'm not the real thing, but I do a pretty darn good job. The real stuff is J.K. Rowling (leather) and Marion Zimmer Bradley (real fur).  
  
If Time is All We've Lost  
  
Chapter 8 - Silver Sickle  
  
"Hello it's me,  
I've thought about us for a long, long time.  
Maybe I think too much, but something's wrong,  
There's something here that doesn't last too long,  
Maybe I shouldn't think of you as mine.  
-Todd Rundgren ~ "Hello, it's me."  
  
Lily tried with all her might to scream, but Rhubat just tightened his grip around her mouth. He had placed a floating and immobile charm on Arabella, Raquel, and Soroya and then they all headed to the appointed place.   
  
The boys stopped to regroup around the statue of Trintithia the True and look at where Rhubat was taking the girls. He was headed towards the secret chamber that they had discovered in their 2nd year at Hogwarts.   
  
The chamber was really useless, just a room not a lot of people knew about with another room adjacent to it, or, in other words, exactly what Voldemort wanted.   
  
Rhubat threw Lily into the adjacent room where Voldemort was. He tied the others up in the first chamber and stood watch, waiting for any other curious passersby. That's when Sirius took off, headed straight for where the painting of Tintagel castle was, also where the entrance to the chamber resided.  
  
"Sirius, NO!" James tried to tell him, but it was too late, he had already hurtled to at least the third floor. "Remus, Gus, listen. You head for the painting and I'll follow you in with the cloak, I don't think Rhubat's planned for someone to be completely invisible."  
  
Remus and Gus did as they were told. The statue was in such an obscure location, that it took them nearly an hour to get to it with out hurting themselves. Remus kissed the statue on the cheek, the only way to open the passage inside it and the others filed in silently. (A/N: A statue of Cilla the Civil is at the same place as the painting of Tintagel, but you can go in the chamber either way.)   
  
As expected Rhubat placed the unconscious spell, "Kormentinsar Chordil," on Remus and Gus both, as he had done on the others, but missed James, as also expected.   
  
James snuck in behind Rhubat and put the Kormentinsar Chordil spell on him. Try as he might, James could not remember the counter-spell to Kormentinsar Chordil. That didn't really matter, as he now noticed that he didn't even have his wand or the Marauder's map with him. With nothing left to do, James opened the door and sidled into the chamber as quietly as he could, amazed by what he saw as he removed his camouflage.  
  
/~\ Hour before James arrived /~\  
  
As soon as Rhubat had thrown Lily into the Chamber, Voldemort studied her carefully. The last time he had seen her, she was only 10, but she was still beautiful. It seemed, for some reason, that Minerva had no trouble picking pretty girls to learn to hate him.  
  
Lily was horrified when she saw Voldemort. She had remembered him from their first meeting, but she couldn't really call it a meeting. Voldemort had been 19 then, dark and evil, and now, only seven years later, he had only added to his intimating prowess.   
  
"Lily Evans, the single core of my plan, the only way to achieve what was left to me by my mother." His lips curled into a horrible smile as he watched her stand up. "You have surpassed me with your grace."  
  
"I hope you cherish the thought," Lily snarled.  
  
"You don't know how much that has mattered to me over the past seven years." Voldemort explained.  
  
"Is this your plan that you've been dwelling on for seven whole years of your sorry life?" She laughed mockingly, probably the only one ever brave enough to do that. "I have to say, Voldemort, that I am highly disappointed in you."  
  
In a swift move, he had pinned her against the wall. Lily was not expecting anything like this, but then the true realization hit her, Voldemort wanted her as his wife, or at least lover. Voldemort was really short for his years; Lily was only a few inches shorter than him. "Underestimation is never a good way to begin a relationship, my dear."  
  
His mouth crushed hers and she cowered, in a vague attempt to get away. Finally, he pulled away. "Exactly like Igraine, aren't you? Are you praying that your soul-mate will come and rescue you, just like Uther did for Igraine?"  
  
Lily was praying, but not to James, but rather to the Goddess and hopefully to the Merlin. But it wasn't long before Lily found her wit once again.  
  
"Voldemort, I swear before all I know and all I have ever believed in that you will not take me consciously." Lily spat, her courage growing inside.  
  
"Always a flaw, isn't there," Voldemort said as grabbed Lily's hand to kiss it, but she flung it out of his grasp and slapped him.  
  
"Perhaps you haven't noticed your own 'little flaws'." She retorted. Voldemort was reaching his breaking point. "You may have my sister, but you will never take me."  
  
"I always value courage," He snickered. He took out a needle and grabbed her by the throat. "All I need is one drop."  
  
Lily could not think of what he was doing as he painfully touched her crescent moon scar with it. He took the drop of scarlet blood and rubbed it with his fingers.  
  
"A son! You will bear me a son!" He showed the blood to Lily. Sure enough, it had beaded up, the true sign of the Goddess's blessed fertility for a male child. "You will bear me the son that will send Avalon to the heavens where it should be! The second Mordred will come and finish the task set before him."  
  
Lily was desperate now. "Never! I will never be yours! May the Goddess strike me down before that happens!" Lily thought quickly and smiled. "And if I was to bear you a son, I could kill him without your knowing. Herb Lore runs in my blood."  
  
"You think that will defy the Dark Lord," Voldemort laughed cruelly. "You think of me simply."  
  
It was then that James removed his cloak. "Potter," Voldemort flared, but then his expression softened tremendously as he took a few steps toward him, picking Lily up by her hair, but by being trained as a priestess, it didn't have quite the effect Voldemort was going for. "Potter, you love her, don't you?"  
  
Lily was then viciously reminded that Voldemort had the Sight. But then again, Lily wasn't stupid, her plan was taking form.   
  
James looked up weirdly at Voldemort and at Lily, who wasn't really showing much emotion at all, as he asked him the question. "Yes, I do."  
  
"I'll tell you what," Voldemort said, smirking. "We'll have a duel, not a wizard's duel, but a traditional muggle one. If you win, you get her and vice versa."  
  
James looked as though he thought really deeply about the whole idea of fighting him and the vulnerability of his and Lily's life at the moment. There was no way out of fighting. If he ran for the door, Voldemort would trap him in less than two steps. James did not get behind in the current wizarding news, he had the Daily Prophet delivered to him, well, daily. He knew what Voldemort had been doing. James's only hope was that he would hold Voldemort off long enough for Dumbledore to come in and intervene. So, ignoring Lily, slumped in a corner, obviously talking to herself, he slowly nodded. For one last grasp of hope, he realized that Lily was a full priestess of Avalon and that she wasn't just going to sit and watch him die. James carefully picked up the fencing sword that Voldemort had thrown to him.  
  
James took no time to figure out why Lily had had to take fencing lessons to prepare for Voldemort, he was excellent. Poised and perfect, James was having a hard time blocking each of his sword's blows.  
  
Voldemort had it all ready. He would kill James, and then transport Lily somewhere else where they would not be found by any priest, priestess, or ruler of Avalon or Dragon Isle. (A/N: Dragon Isle is like Avalon for male priests of the God)  
  
The fight was fierce, but fencing was not something that James excelled in. Voldemort had almost beat him many times, James always hanging on the last thread, but always coming out on top. But once, Voldemort's aim was true.  
  
Lily hated what had to come next, but there was no other way to turn the table on Voldemort. Voldemort wrenched James to a standing position by the nape of his neck, his fencing sword was pressed to James's neck and his skin was almost at it bleeding point.  
  
"Is this your Uther, Lady Igraine?" Voldemort laughed disbelievingly and then spit in James's face. James was still dealing with the immense pain in his neck to react to Voldemort's actions towards him. "I have always imagined him at least having a bit of chivalry." And he dropped the almost limp body of James to the ground and he pointed his sword at James's chest. "One word, m'lady, one word can save his life or destroy it."   
  
"Fine," she said. "You can have me, just don't hurt James." Voldemort's hard expression softened immediately, and his sword tumbled to the hard, cold stone floor. James looked at Lily in supreme disbelief. But Lily gave him a look that plainly said, 'I'm fine, seriously.'  
  
Lily played along with Voldemort's kiss until he was no longer conscious of what she was doing. Her hand fastened around the tiny sickle knife around her waist, the one she had been given when she became a priestess. She ensured the ultimate surprise for Voldemort and then drew the frozen steel across his cheek.  
  
Voldemort let out a blood-curdling scream, that no doubt woke the entire school up. All Lily had to do know was to keep her and James alive till someone arrived.  
  
Voldemort clutched his bloody cheek. After realizing that he only had a few moments to do as much damage as he could he took full advantage. Since he couldn't find the Potter boy, his rage was suppressed towards Lily. The perfect plan, seven years of careful execution, was nearly gone. Even if his purpose was not carried out tonight, then he would definetley be back, having more time work on a strategy where there was no way out, no way to possibly fail, then he would have his revenge on Minerva and on The God and Goddess.  
  
He slammed Lily against the wall, which was not good for a body already deprived of half its energy. He retraced her crescent scar with his left fore finger. Instead of feeling a touch on her skin, it was like the day she had gotten the scar, only a hundred times worse than before.  
  
As Voldemort smiled when he saw Lily's unexpected pain, and showed her the concealed razor that had been dipped into a pain increasing solution. "As you have left me with a mark I will never forget, I have done the same to you." Pain was now riddling her thoughts and scarlet blood was dripping down her face.  
  
James attacked then, but he was no match for Voldemort. Voldemort hurled James into the wall, as he had done Lily. Voldemort locked his strong fingers around James's throat. "Bravery is sometimes repaid; too bad this isn't one of those times."  
  
With the last of her strength, Lily picked up her sickle knife and plunged it into Voldemort's side. Hoping her aim was true, she sunk onto the floor in a dead faint, perhaps never to wake again.  
  
Instead of screaming, Voldemort dislodged the minute dagger, his usual sneer turned into a grimace twisted with agony. He returned Lily's favor and then fled. (A/N: If anyone wants to know, when Voldemort returned Lily's favor, he stabbed the blade into her side.)  
  
James stood up and tried to help Lily's lifeless body, but it didn't take long for her to come around, sputtering and coughing up the blood that had found its way into her lungs.   
  
At that moment, Dumbledore burst in and let out a great sigh of relief. "Thank the Goddess that you two are all right. We must have you taken care of." Dumbledore lifted up Lily's body and turned to James. "Mr. Potter, go down to the hospital wing and get Madam Pomfrey," Dumbledore smiled as saw James's puzzled look. "Madam Pomfrey is tending to one of the house-elves that was burned in a horrible double boiler incident. Tell her to come to my office as soon as possible, and follow her."  
  
Dumbledore silently walked his way towards his office and James sped towards the kitchens. Indeed it looked as though the house-elf was going to have a nasty rash as a side-effect, but Madam Pomfrey was happy to leave the kitchens. It seemed to James that some of the ill elf's friends were starting a small riot.   
  
When James and Madam Pomfrey arrived at Dumbledore's office, Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore were standing around her. Lily's forehead was still bleeding, but her side still had the knife in it. It seemed that they could not remove it, and therefore, Lily was only able to sit up.   
  
Madam Pomfrey let out quite an audible gasp when she took in Lily's state, and the dagger still plunged into her side. "Professor Dumbledore," she said as she bustled over. "Why haven't you removed this weapon!?"   
  
"Poppy," Dumbledore said firmly. "Poppy, listen. None of us can remove the dagger because it isn't an ordinary dagger." When Dumbledore noticed the look of uncertainty on both James and Madam Pomfrey's faces, he quickly added, "You can ask Minerva, she will explain it better than I."  
  
Minerva stepped forward. "Lily's sickle knife is unlike the ones given to normal priestesses on Avalon. She has the one that once belonged to Morgaine and contains blood rubies. The only thing different about it is that it cannot be simply removed. It has to be removed by the person's one true love. Voldemort, conceited and selfish, removed it himself because he considers himself his one true love."  
  
Madam Pomfrey looked quite flustered. "That's not good, not good I tell you. A true love could take years to find, she may very well die tonight!"  
  
James really didn't listen, but watched Lily as writhed in tremendous agony, but he snapped back into attention when he heard his name.  
  
"That's what I said, Minerva," Dumbledore was saying. "I believe that Mr. Potter here can remove the dagger from Miss Evans's side.  
  
"Me?" he said, very overwhelmed by being said as Lily's one true love. "Are you sure?"  
  
"Of course, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore looked at him, slightly confused. "Don't you remember what happened in the chamber. Only the one that really loved her would admit that to Voldemort's face."  
  
James turned it all over in his mind. Dumbledore was right, he did love her. But another horrible thought meandered into his mind; What if I can't take the knife out of her side? If I can't, then she may die soon or we may be searching all of Europe for the one that can.  
  
"Go ahead Mr. Potter," Dumbledore looked at him with his twinkling blue eyes. "I am more than faithful that you will be able to remove it."  
  
With Dumbledore's subtle encouragement, James grasped the hilt, the rubies almost hot against his skin. And, with very little effort at all, extracted the tiny blade from Lily.   
  
The eminent anguish on Lily's face disappeared and everyone in the room looked relieved. The bleeding on Lily's forehead stopped and healed, just as the incision in her side had done. Lily caught James in a hug and, eventually, a kiss and, amazingly, Madam Pomfrey had no disagreements with their actions.   
  
"Well, it seems all is in order here. I must return to the hospital wing. Mr. Mondin from Hufflepuff had a quite unforgettable experience with a prune-eating begonia." Madam Pomfrey left and hurried towards the wing.  
  
"Mr. Potter, Miss Evans," they both looked up at Dumbledore, who was visibly smiling from underneath his silvery beard. "I believe I can trust you to find your ways to the Gryffindor Common Room. All of your friends will be very anxious to hear what has happened." And they both left the room as well.  
  
Minerva waited till they were surely out of earshot before she spoke up. "Merlin, what are we going to do? Even if Lily does bear a child to James, she will never let it be fostered on Dragon Isle or on Avalon. Am I to find another to whom will definitely bear a child for me or you to foster as the next Lady of the Lake or the Merlin?"  
  
"I certainly know that Lily will not bear a child to the Goddess. In fact, Narcissa will bear the future Merlin, but Lily will also bear a son, around the same three month period. Just as was foretold, they will hate each other, but there is a link between them, although they may not know it. The girl who is their link may not even know it. I trust you to find another woman to produce an heir for you. Befriend her and remember to tell her to start her child's middle name with an S." Dumbledore stared at Minerva's amazed face. "You have been denying the Sight, my dear. You will find an amazingly bright child, more intelligent than Lily. There is only one possible flaw. Narcissa will more than willingly give us her son to be fostered on Dragon Isle, but I'm afraid Lucius may want him to be his heir in being a death eater for Voldemort. Voldemort knows it, and I have prayed to the God and the Goddess continually that Narcissa will bear your heir, but it is not so. As long as we can educate the young man well, it will not be an issue. I still fear for Lily's life, Voldemort will no doubt want revenge on Lily, James, and their son. Their son will live, though, they may not, it is up to the God and Goddess. But, the girl who is to be your heir and Narcissa's son cannot know of each other as priest and priestess. The only time they will actually meet as gifts from the God and Goddess is when they prove their worth. That will be when Narcissa's son receives the serpents around his wrists and the girl will receive her crescent moon scar."  
  
Minerva cut him off, smiling. "The Sight has been very generous to you, Merlin."  
  
"Never doubt what the Goddess and God can give. If the two successors meet each other, not in the priest and priestess form, they will show great hatred for the other, just as Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy do now." Dumbledore finally finished.  
  
"What about the Beltane fires? Has the God or Goddess said we shall have them participate?" Minerva asked.  
  
"We may want to consult Delia about that, she is the only one on Avalon that has completely devoted herself to the Goddess." Dumbledore sighed heavily. "Or, the Goddess or God will give their consent in the Sight, in words, or in any action."  
  
A/N: Like I said, I am so sorry, but I think that I was really scared to right this chapter. I hope you loved it. I don't think I underestimated myself here! I'll give my reviewers three things, including eternal thanks, instead of my usual two. They get tissues, (they have become like my life-source while I've been sick) soft peppermint sticks, (One of the Ultimate Yums!) and those pointy hats that noblewomen had to wear in the middle ages. (My friend has to make one for a Middle-ages festival that we're going to with school) I hope you guys feel like reviewing! Happy Easter! Happy Holy Week! Happy Passover! Happy March 25th! Thanks! Epequa ;) 


	9. Chapter 9 Confused Magenta

Hey! Sorry it took me a while to get this chapter out but my little sister glued my disc shut that had all of chapter 9 on it, and now its all gone, and then my computer lost all of the three pages I had, so this has been revised many times. Oh well, so I am rewriting this. I hope you like this chapter, but it is a lot of explaining. Sorry for the long delay and this will not happen every time, it's just that I have had SOOOOOOO much to do over the last month, the next two chapters might be like this so, very sorry from me. Well, I will be changing pairings after this chapter so you will need to type Epequa into the find author search and get my story from there. So here we go. Please keep your arms and legs inside the cart and duck your heads as we now enter chapter nine.  
  
Useless Information: I really like this quote. I got it from Ed, the bowling alley lawyer on NBC: 'You don't solve life, you live it!'  
  
Disclaimer: I think my little sister has an evil plan with J.K. Rowling and Marion Zimmer Bradley, they all don't want me to butcher J.K.'s or Marion's stories this way. Oh well, it all belongs to them anyway, except for my little sister, of course.  
  
If Time is All We've Lost  
  
Chapter 9 - Confused Magenta  
  
'She's been afraid to go out,  
  
she's afraid of the knock on her door.  
  
There's always a shade of a doubt;  
  
she can never be sure.  
  
Who comes to call?  
  
Maybe the friend of a friend of a friend.  
  
Anyone at all?  
  
Anything but nothing again  
  
Seems like even her old girlfriends  
  
might be talking her down,  
  
she's got her name on the grapevine  
  
running up and down the telephone line.  
  
Talking 'bout someone said someone said  
  
something 'bout something else  
  
someone might have said about her.  
  
She always figured that they were her friends,  
  
but maybe they can live without her.  
  
Nothing lasts forever. You never know till it all falls down, that somebody loves you."  
  
'Her Town Too' - James Taylor with J.D. Souther  
  
The ordeal with Lily had left Voldemort in his longest stupor and fast. He spent long hours pacing his study and calling upon each of his followers to give him the latest information on his newest chosen victims. He was most apprehensive, however, about the one he called Wormtail, his link to the Potters.  
  
Lily and James had married a few years after they had finished school, unlike Lucius and Narcissa, who had married what must have been the day after graduation. Lily had always had the feeling that Voldemort would come after her, but the truth was, Voldemort really didn't want to kill Lily at all. It was James he was after, the link that spoiled it all. The thing was, Voldemort had let the two grow too close. But now he was working on a new plan, one that wouldn't fail.  
  
In the meantime, Wormtail had just arrived from England.  
  
Voldemort stopped pacing to look at him. "What is happening with the Potters?"  
  
"The...they...are living in God...Godric's Hollow, sir,' Wormtail stammered. "Sirius is no longer their secret keeper, but I. Dumbledore may be cottoning on though."  
  
Voldemort laughed softly as the last words flowed out of Wormtail's mouth and Wormtail whimpered. "That old fool will never defile this plan. He can dream of knowing more than me, but I am nearer to being omniscient than he is."  
  
"Of course you are, Master," Wormtail said, in a very deep bow. It shocked him that Voldemort picked him up by the scruff of his neck.  
  
"Do not mock me Wormtail!" Voldemort shouted, but he calmed and put Wormtail back on the ground, on which he sobbed silently. "You don't want to be like Potter, do you? Plus, think of the many rewards you will receive once the plot has been fully carried out."  
  
Wormtail nodded and bowed once more, and then swept away. Voldemort sat on his throne, stroking his chin and thinking. Complete vengeance would be his ultimate ambrosia, and it would never change until he had finished his dominance and sent Avalon to the sky.  
  
Minerva kept in touch with Narcissa and often came to visit when Lucius was away. Narcissa was learning to cope with her new life, saying that the harp Minerva had given her was one of the only things that ever gave her pleasure. But one afternoon, Narcissa had an even bigger surprise for her.  
  
"Lady," Narcissa said. Minerva knew at once the girl was trying to be serious, but she couldn't keep a straight face. "I'm pregnant!" and she swept Minerva in a bear hug. "Oh, and how is my sister?"  
  
The Merlin still visited Lily and often told Minerva of all that was happening, but she still wished that Lily would forgive her, but it would never be so.  
  
"Your sister is pregnant as well, as the Merlin has informed me," Minerva smiled warmly at her child. (A/N: Close Enough!!!) "With a son, as is foretold, you will bear a son as well." These words had quite a dismal effect on Narcissa.  
  
"No," she said softly. "No, Lucius will want him as a death-eater, there is no way he could be the Merlin."  
  
"Do not fret, my dear," Minerva soothed. "The Merlin and I will take him to be fostered when he is five."  
  
"And what if Lucius takes drastic action?" Narcissa sobbed.  
  
"Merlin and I will never let him be a death-eater," she said, very sure. "I promise above all. If anything happens, we will just have to take him to Dragon Isle sooner. He will be a fine son, and although he will strikingly resemble his father, he will have your eyes."  
  
Minerva left the Malfoy Manor and headed towards Hogsmeade. Surely a gillywater would take her mind off of everything, and she was hoping to meet the Merlin there.  
  
Rosemerta was quick in bringing Minerva her order. Rosemerta had learned on the Isle of Avalon as well, but she was a protector. She had the plans and she knew what was coming and how to deal with it.  
  
The Merlin came in a few minutes after Minerva arrived and ordered only a water. "I was expecting to meet you here, Merlin."  
  
Merlin looked thoughtfully at her for a moment, then looked as if he'd suddenly remembered what she had wanted of him. "Ah, yes, well there is a fine young woman in town, who was just married. Muggle of course, but I think she could use a mentor, you. That way you will gain her trust. I am certain that this girl will bear a magical baby, but I am unsure whether it will be male or female. Lily is fine, her baby is due in July and they could not be happier. Although, Lily still fears for the safety of both James and her unborn child. They've recently changed secret keepers because they fear that Voldemort will tempt Sirius to the dark side. They have entrusted their secrets in Peter Pettigrew."  
  
For some reason, unknown to the Merlin, Minerva let out quite an audible gasp.  
  
"Lady, what is it?" said Merlin, concern in his light blue eyes.  
  
"There is something about that boy that I never liked. Narcissa says she felt something weird when he was sorted into Gryffindor. He just gives me the vibe that he's not very trustworthy." Minerva whispered.  
  
"I have tried to convince them that I could be their secret keeper, but they say that Peter would rather die than betray them. You can certainly not convince them, but I pray that they are right about him, and my suspicions, almost identical to yours, are wrong." Merlin looked around, staring out the window at the passers-by.  
  
"But we'll put our faith in what we've got, and pray that the God and Goddess will be generous." Minerva said, almost helplessly.  
  
"I second that," said the Merlin, and they toasted to the next generation to come.  
  
Lily called the Merlin to her at the beginning of August. Merlin stepped inside the tiny threshold to find James and Lily simply glowing. James was holding a tiny bundle of blankets.  
  
"Merlin," Lily looked as though she might burst with happiness and glee. "I would like to introduce you to our son, Harry." James gave the bundle to Merlin, who looked at the tiny infant.  
  
He looked exactly like his father; jet black hair and even James's blue eyes, but they would change eventually. Lily looked so happy, happier than she had ever been.  
  
When James went to go put Harry to bed, Lily and Merlin had time to talk about, well, everything.  
  
"I would like you to know," Merlin said very respectfully, "that your sister is also pregnant, and she will soon also bear a son."  
  
Lily turned away from him, a mixture of anger and stubbornness.  
  
"No matter how hard you try, Lily," Merlin said calmly. "You cannot convince me that you do not worry about your sister. I think it is time you faced that fact and listen."  
  
Lily looked at him sullenly. "I just can't believe that she did something so drastic, and against her own will, for the Goddess." She shook her head. "Maybe I have become unfaithful to the Goddess."  
  
"I know as much as the Lady does that you are as faithful as you ever were," Merlin said respectfully. "Both of your children will be so important to the God and Goddess, you will never know how this will effect the coming years."  
  
Lily sighed and took one last, hopeful glance at the Merlin. "I do hope you mean that in the best possible way."  
  
"I would never wish for anything less," Merlin reassured her.  
  
After the night that the Merlin had told her about the young muggle woman, Minerva had decided to find her. Minerva found her in a girl named Helen, who had just married her husband John on December 14th of the previous year. She seemed happy enough; she was staying at home and learning about dentistry, enough to make sure that she would one day join her husband in his practice. Minerva often visited her on weekends and odd times that she had off from school.  
  
She was happy enough to have an older friend like Minerva, and John saw no objection to the healthy friendship that they had. They often had conversations of things they liked, and the first day that they met, Minerva told Helen all about her being a witch and about Avalon. It seemed to Minerva, that Helen was quite anxious to have children before she started her career. She was the perfect candidate to have the future Lady of Avalon.  
  
One day, John was out of town at a dentist's convention, and Helen and Minerva were at home alone. Helen was finishing her model of a well done root canal for her college class and Minerva was reading the muggle newspaper, when Helen jumped a little.  
  
"That's the fourth time this week!" Helen exclaimed, rubbing her belly. "Minerva, you're the best physician I know, can you tell me what's wrong?"  
  
Minerva put down her book and walked over to the girl. She placed her small hands on Helen's stomach. As soon as her minute fingers had touched Helen's belly, she recoiled them as though she had placed them on a flaming burner.  
  
"What's the matter?" Helen asked, scared out of her wits.  
  
"No, nothing is wrong my dear," Minerva said, almost laughing at the girl's fear. "You are with child, a girl." Helen looked at her with utmost delight. "I must ask a gargantuan favor of you. Your daughter will be gifted beyond your wildest dreams, and the only way that it will show is if she is fostered on Avalon. It might be best if you move closer to Glastonbury, so she can visit you weekly. I will take her to be fostered when she is five years old. And do have her middle name start with s. She is magical in more ways than one."  
  
Helen just stared at the older woman for the first few moments, cleared her throat, and then spoke, very hoarsely. "All right, but we need to discuss this with John."  
  
So, Minerva's plan was finally set. John agreed, after a week of debating it, and the couple bought a small cottage a few miles away from Glastonbury. John opened a dental practice in the middle of town.  
  
And with these three children, the future of Avalon was secured: Harry James Potter, born July 31st 1987; Draco Serle Malfoy, born August 25th, 1987; Hermione Sain Granger, born on September 19th, 1987.  
  
During the summer of 1988, on a stormy night in July, Minerva was watching Hermione. Helen and John had gone to Rugby for dinner with some of their friends. A violent storm blew up around an hour after the Granger's had left. Helen called from their friends' house around ten in the evening, saying that they had to stay there for the night because of the damage the storm had caused. Minerva had just put Hermione to bed around midnight, when she heard a knock on the door. She opened it to reveal…the Merlin himself.  
  
"Don't stand there like a fool, Lady, please let us in," the Merlin said curtly. He was soaking, as though he had fled somewhere in a great hurry and he was carrying a wet child, not much older than Hermione. It turned it's head towards Minerva; It's blue eyes gave it away at once.  
  
"Merlin, is that…Narcissa's child?" Minerva gasped as she let the two into the house. The Merlin put the boy on the couch, who immediately began to play with the now wide awake Hermione.  
  
"Of course it is. His name is Draco Serle," said the Merlin simply, taking off his shoes and allowing them to dry by the fire. "Narcissa gave him to me to take to Dragon Isle. She says Lucius has been fanatic about making Draco a death-eater and this was the only time that she could have him escape without Lucius interfering. I've only just gotten away, we need to get them to Avalon as quickly as possible."  
  
"Why Hermione too?" Minerva asked, puzzled.  
  
"Well, Lady," the Merlin looked very thoughtful for a minute, and then turned back to her. "Voldemort's reign right now is at it's peak and the faster we can get them to Avalon or Dragon Isle, the better. Anyone could be an unknown death-eater, and I do not want to take anymore chances with lives, for I feel that I have already taken some with Narcissa's life; I really don't know how Lucius will react when he finds his only son and heir is gone. I can only imagine that horrid man's temper. You can come and visit the Grangers tomorrow, tell them your dilemma, and help them to understand."  
  
Minerva thought about the whole situation for awhile, and them looked up at the Merlin. "You are right. Let's make sure these two are ready for the journey."  
  
Hermione and Draco were looking, or reading, neither the Merlin nor Minerva could tell, a small book. Unusually, they were very tranquil, not fighting about when to turn the pages or what pictures looked the best. In less than twenty minutes the Merlin had bundled Hermione and Draco up and put on his dried boots, while Minerva wrote Helen and John a note, saying she'd come back in a couple of days to explain everything and the importance of it all.  
  
They left, trudging through the mud and shielding the children from the biting wind and rain. The shores of Avalon could not be more welcome, as Minerva parted the mists. It could not have been more different inside Avalon than it was in the mortal world. It was a cloudless night and every star shone brightly in its place. The Merlin and Draco slept in the guest room beside the Lady's, where Minerva and Hermione slumbered. After breakfast, the Merlin and Draco left on the trek towards Dragon Isle.  
  
It was only three months after Hermione and Draco had been able to adjust to their new surroundings when the first of the bad news came, the both unexpected and expected death of Lily and James Potter.  
  
Voldemort was ready to put his revenge into action. The perfect night had come, All Hallow's Eve. He stepped into Godric's Hollow, looking like any ordinary pedestrian. The Alohamora charm did its job on the locks and he stepped inside the small dwelling. Voldemort was surprised to find only Lily and Harry at home; James must be at work. No matter, that would make it all sweeter.  
  
James came home from work, oblivious to the fact that Voldemort was toying with his life.  
  
"Potter, how nice to see you again." Voldemort said smoothly. He had Lily by the scruff of her neck, and the faint sound of a child whimpering could be heard in the bedroom. "What an interesting predicament! I've got your family under my control and I will give them back for one small price." His lips curled into a terrible smile.  
  
James was watching everything fall, crumbling into pieces. Trembling with anger and fear he asked the question that Voldemort had been waiting to hear since James had foiled his first plot. "What price would that be?"  
  
"Oh, nothing much," said Voldemort, shrugging and increasing his grip on Lily. "Just your life." Voldemort watched in pleasure as James's face contorted in disgust and dread. "Take it or leave, Potter! Your life or your family's suffering!"  
  
"Take my life, but listen, Lily, take Harry and run." James said bravely.  
  
Voldemort laughed at James's courage. "I must tell you that your futile attempts are in vain." And when Voldemort let go of Lily, she bolted to get Harry and ran, even though the sounds of pounding and shouts of terror were coming from the living room. She ran to the back door, but it was locked, and she heard the faint footsteps of her husband's murderer.  
  
"Lily, you wouldn't think that I would only leave with half of my life's work completed. I've still got this family to finish off." His hands gripped tightly around his wand.  
  
"No!" Lily shrieked, trying to shield Harry from harm. "Please, have mercy. No, not Harry."  
  
"Get away, you foolish girl!" A sudden thought entered his mind. "It's your fault this is happening. If you had not played damsel in distress, all would be well."  
  
"Please, take me! Take me instead!" but before Voldemort could answer her last plea, he had already said 'Advada Kadavra', his wand pointed in Harry's direction.  
  
As one last act of love for her son, she gave her life. Using her body as a cover for Harry, the curse hit her and killed her instantly.  
  
Voldemort turned to the one year old. "Foolish girl, her act was worthless, you will die anyway," Voldemort muttered mirthlessly, and he pointed his wand at the child. He said the curse, but it was like Harry was protected by a mirror, the curse reflected back onto Voldemort. He fled, half-dead, impaled by his own curse.  
  
Minerva and the Merlin arranged to meet and take him to his aunt and uncle's the next night. Minerva hated to leave him with Petunia; she had hated his mother and she would no doubt hate Harry as well. But they left him on the doorstep, hoping and praying that they wouldn't discard him to an orphanage, not that their raising would be any better.  
  
Years past and tears were shed. Hermione visited her parents every other week and on important days. The Merlin had been right about her; she was even brighter than Lily. Hermione was able to open the mists when she was only six years of age and had very frequent, clear meetings with the Sight, which she understood completely. She was living up to her name, as she was very well-spoken. Able to cipher everything around her and learned everything else as quickly.  
  
During the summer of 1998, Hermione received her acceptance letter into Hogwarts, as both Minerva and Hermione had long-awaited. They left for Diagon Alley a few days before the beginning of school. Hermione was harder to get out of Flourish and Blotts than Lily or Narcissa had ever been. Hermione was ready to explore everything that the world had to offer. But, as usual, the most exciting place was Ollivander's.  
  
Hermione entered the tiny store, fascinated by the thousands of boxes of wands all around her. When Mr. Ollivander came into the shop, she found him just as interesting as his wares.  
  
"Hello, young one," he said very kindly. He noticed that Minerva was sitting in the single chair in the far corner of shop. "Is this the new heir to the throne of the Lady of the Lake?"  
  
Minerva nodded discreetly. Mr. Ollivander took out a box from a low shelf. "Here try this one. Unicorn tail hair, maple, and 9 1/3 inches." But Hermione had only raised the wand, when she herself handed it back to Mr. Ollivander.  
  
"I don't think so, Mr. Ollivander," said Hermione shyly. Mr. Ollivander and Minerva were equally astonished. No one had ever told Mr. Ollivander that a wand was wrong for them, only he had even done that.  
  
Mr. Ollivander raised his eyebrows at the girl as he picked up the wand she was holding. "I think you're right. Why don't you try this; Phoenix feather, chestnut, 14 inches? It's the best wand for anything, but especially charm work."  
  
Hermione took the wand without any objections, and waved it. A rainbow of blue, red, and green stars showered overhead. "Perfect. Well, I hope enjoy Hogwarts young lady." Mr. Ollivander said, and showed them out of the store. He held Minerva back for a moment as Hermione sat on a bench and took out one of the books she had purchased.  
  
"Minerva, a word if you don't mind." Minerva stepped once again into the small shop, unaware of what Mr. Ollivander wanted to tell her.  
  
"Lady, that girl is special, more special than any other priestess I have ever met. You'll do well to keep her protected. Not only will You-Know- Who be after the Potters' boy, but after her."  
  
Minerva went to the Leaky Cauldron, her head swimming in thoughts and possibilities. But one single thought comforted her troubled mind; the Merlin would be bringing Draco tomorrow and they would have a few moments to rendezvous. It would be awful if they had Draco and Hermione meet. Delia told Minerva constantly that if they met before their initiation, they would mortally hate each other. Although they would be going to school together, the Merlin and Minerva hoped that their hate wouldn't prevail at Hogwarts.  
  
After a light dinner, Minerva saw the Merlin enter the pub, with Draco at his side. Draco was a spitting image of his father, even down to the intimidating aura. His eyes were exactly like Narcissa's only toned down a bit, and with a bit more frost, the exact opposite of Hermione's eyes. Hers were a lively, warm cinnamon. Lucius was starting to rub off on him, which would be bad for both Draco and Avalon, because the God and Goddess would want to discipline him.  
  
Hermione and Draco sat across from each other and didn't talk, only ate, each very sparingly, but not taking their eyes off each other, as though wanting to mess up the other. It was more or less a mind tournament.  
  
"Merlin," said Minerva hurriedly. "Mr. Ollivander even noticed that she's different; able to move and control the mists at six! I was only able to do that at the age of eight."  
  
"I see," but Merlin didn't look at all surprised, which seemed very strange to Minerva. "Draco is the same way. He's more qualified than most of the older priests."  
  
"We have got to keep them well protected, as Harry is as well." Minerva whispered, and the Merlin nodded.  
  
"Looks like time is both our ally and our enemy." Merlin said wisely. "But as long as we know the three of them are safe, we might be able to achieve some type of peace of mind."  
  
This was going to be harder than they both thought, even under their watchful eye at Hogwarts. Voldemort could work his way into anyplace, but Harry hadn't set him back for good, but had only made Voldemort thirstier for complete revenge, something that would cause many sleepless nights and unknown futures.  
  
A/N: Like I said, I am sorry a billion times over! So I'm giving you four bizarre, irrelevant items: Tootsie Rolls, Computer Batteries (wish I had a better one!), Q-tips, and Orchids (Pweeeettttyyy!). I hope that these gifts and the length of this chapter make up for the long absence. Love you guys, as always. Thank you to those who review! Epequa. 


	10. Chapter 10 Pearly Splash

Hey! Sorry for not writing for so long but this whole fan fiction problem, well, I hope they can fix it! *Being desperately optimistic* Anywho, I hope you're all ready for a fairly exciting chapter. And, by the way, the whole time that you've been waiting for chapter 10, I've been writing notes for the next chapters, and I've been busy. I helped with a camp two weeks ago and this past week I was in Chicago,(Very Lovely City!) and this week I helped at my church's Vacation Bible School and had to keep track of thirty 1st and 2nd graders. I did change the pairing and this will be very exciting in the end (and hopefully in the middle as well). All the reminders are for your benefit. I've just realized that I don't remember a lot of details that I have in here, so little reminders are scattered throughout the chapter. I recommend reading The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien and Animal Farm by George Orwell. Both are fantastic books! So, try to enjoy and envelop my way of how things went and are. START ENVELOPING!!!   
  
Disclaimer: I hope everyone's having a pleasurable summer vacation! Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling and Marion Zimmer Bradley, everything except my plot. (Pretty sad, huh?)  
  
Useless Information: I just realized that people probably speed through this without any thought of it at all. But for those people who don't, a lovely quote is coming your way! "My books are water; those of great authors are wine. Everybody drinks water." - Mark Twain  
  
If Time is All We've Lost  
  
Chapter 10 - Pearly Splash  
  
'There have been times in my life,   
  
I've been wondering why.  
  
Still somehow I believe,  
  
we always survive.  
  
Now I'm not so sure,  
  
that you're waiting here.  
  
One good reason to try,   
  
But what more can I say,  
  
was left to provide.  
  
You think that maybe it's over;  
  
Only if you want it to be.  
  
How are you gonna wait for a sign, your miracle,  
  
Stand up and fight!  
  
This is it.  
  
Make no mistake where you are.  
  
This is it.  
  
Your back's to the corner.  
  
This is it.  
  
Don't be a fool anymore.  
  
This is it.  
  
The waiting is over.  
  
No room to run,  
  
No way to hide,  
  
No time for wondering why.  
  
It's here, the moment is now,  
  
About to decide.  
  
Let them believe.  
  
Leave them behind,  
  
But keep me near in your heart.  
  
Know whatever you do,   
  
I'm here by your side.  
  
You said that maybe it's over,  
  
But if you don't want it to be.  
  
For once in your life, here's your miracle,  
  
Stand up and fight!  
  
This is it.  
  
Make no mistake where you are.  
  
This is it.  
  
You're going no further.  
  
This is it.  
  
Until it's over and done.  
  
/~\ Kenny Loggins / 'This is it' /~\  
  
The start of school was heaving itself upon Avalon, as it usually did. This meant that Minerva could only come at odd times during the year, until summer had finally arrived. But there were more absences than usual this year.   
  
First there was little, now eleven year old, Hermione Granger. Smarter than anyone could have ever perceived, she still was very secretive of her character to those she didn't know. She was learning the Herb Lore that was usually reserved for the older priestesses, only because she had simply run out of things to learn.  
  
Yet, not only Avalon would be suffering; Dragon Isle would feel the blow as well, not that losing the Merlin for nine months was enough. Draco would also be leaving for Hogwarts. Although he was somewhat of a brat because of his father and his ideals, Draco was as bright as was really expected of him, but he had logic and memory, gifts that one could only be thankful enough for, but Draco wasn't.  
  
Another important addition to Hogwarts was Harry Potter. Famous as he was in the wizarding world, Hogwarts had been awaiting his coming since he was born. Harry had unknowingly become a point of tension between the God and Goddess, which is never good. The Goddess favored Harry, for she had highly favored his mother, but the God saw no reason to. He was also a point a tension for all the witches and wizards that worked so hard to have Harry be safe from Voldemort and from any remaining death-eaters.  
  
In other words, the three most influential, essential, and fortunate children were being sent to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Influential because of their prominent roles in both Avalon's and the wizarding world's futures. Essential because of everyone's need of an heir and a hero. Fortunate because of their prolonged existence thus far.  
  
No doubt that each of them had turned their fair share of heads, but Harry would be, by far, the most famous of the trio, for he was known in all of the wizarding world, not just on Avalon.   
  
Minerva and the Merlin had both seen the eminent enmity when Hermione and Draco had just met for a few minutes, but spending a whole school year, seven times, well, no one really knew what would ever come of that.  
  
Even though Draco was a spoiled brat, he adored his mother. During his childhood, his father had been away much of his life (until recently) and he had spent countless hours around his mother and around Avalon and Dragon Isle, since his mother was a priestess. He especially loved his mother's singing, and also the beautiful way in which she played her harp. The harp in itself was beautiful, made of solid mahogany wood, yet engraved with delicate Celtic symbols. But it was also historical and very unique. It had once belonged to Kevin the Bard, famed Merlin hundreds of years ago. The harp could only be played by a true priest or priestess of Avalon or Dragon Isle, for if played by any other person, magic or unmagic, it would burn and sear their fingers before their eyes and emit no sound at all.  
  
In August, Hermione and Draco had met for a few moments, but when they saw each other on the train, they made a silent agreement that they would never talk to one another again, and each of them was forgotten in the other's minds. Getting Hermione and Draco to agree once again would take more than five years, so it was a monumentous, even if nobody took note.  
  
Hermione made few friends on that first day. She did meet Harry, as well as Ron Weasly, soon to be Harry's best friend. Hermione was shocked to find out how many people still put so much importance in what type of blood a person had. There were lots that dismissed Hermione from their compartment when they found out she was a muggle-born, especially those that were Slytherins, or soon-to-be Slytherins. This really hurt and angered Hermione because she had never been in a situation where people disliked her, no, hated her because her parents were muggles. In fact, no one on the Isle of Avalon minded whether you were muggle-born, full blood, or half blood, just as long as you showed promise for the work of the Goddess.  
  
Draco also met Harry that day, but he already knew about Ron and his family. Draco and Ron had always extremely abhorred each other because their fathers didn't see eye to eye. Arthur Weasly, on one hand, was a kind, generous man who was permanently fascinated with muggles and their way of life. On the other hand, Lucius Malfoy came across as very cool and even cold at times, and he severely disliked muggles, as he had been a muggle torturer for Voldemort at one time.  
  
Draco had found his place surrounded by Slytherins, which meant being surrounded by many of the same morals as his, with the occasional exceptions.  
  
True to their character, Hermione was sorted into Gryffindor and Draco into Slytherin. Hermione loved all the different types of people that she would be around for the next seven years of her life. There were people from all walks of life, different cultures, different parentages, and religions that it was very hard not to fit into the group of Gryffindor first years. Hermione particularly liked her house because they, unlike most of the Slytherins, didn't put a lot of faith or trust in the "purity" of blood.  
  
Draco knew he had found his home the moment that he met his fellow members of house. True, Draco was very well known among his peers and most of his older classmates as well because of his father. Most of the people in Slytherin house had either ex-death eater parents or were closely related to the dark arts, with the occasional one or two odd people.  
  
Both Draco and Hermione kept in close contact with Minerva and the Merlin, although now Hermione and Draco had to refer to them as Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore. Hermione even more than Draco. Minerva listened to all of Hermione's thoughts about how some people don't even seem to realize that wizards and witches are the minority to the muggles, but Hermione moved on, despite all her frustrations, and, later on in first year, she became an invaluable friend of Harry and Ron, making quite the Dream Team.   
  
Draco mostly hung around the people he already knew, like Crabbe and Goyle, whose fathers had both been death-eaters during Voldemort's regime. He became as infamous as he was famous in his first years at Hogwarts, becoming seeker for the Slytherin team in his second year. Draco and Harry couldn't stand each other. Their unknown relation was kept secret from the both of them, and only four people at Hogwarts knew the real truth.  
  
Snape was now a professor at Hogwarts, teaching the same class as his uncle had done so long ago. Snape had made himself out to be severely unpopular with his students, well, all except those who aren't in his house, Slytherin. He favored all Slytherins, and showed less respect to any other student in the school. But, in the Gryffindors' opinion, Snape gave them the barest minimum of respect and tolerance, and even less to Harry, Ron, and Hermione.  
  
Ron wasn't that bad in Snape's eyes. Snape just disliked him more because he was friends with Harry and Hermione. Snape hated Harry because of primarily two things, if not many, many more.  
  
First, there was the prank. Snape despised Harry's father because of a "joke" that he, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin played on him in their last year at Hogwarts. Early in the year, Sirius had almost tried to kill Snape by allowing him to see Remus in his werewolf form. Thankfully for Snape, James had got cold feet at the last minute, and saved Snape, but that wasn't enough for Snape. He was sure that they would all get expelled at the very least, and their wands snapped in half.  
  
But then there was Lily. From the first moment that he saw her, he fell in love. Lily is the reason that Snape no longer believes in love at first sight, or really in love at all. And especially since James married Lily, it gives Snape only more excuses to detest James. But once he learned the truth that Voldemort wanted to have Lily as his wife and now to kill Harry, Snape began to edge away from Voldemort, eventually renouncing all he had to do with him and becoming a spy for the other side.  
  
All this hate and anger was channeled into Harry when James died. In Harry's first year, Snape was very aware that Voldemort was lurking near, and that Quirrel had something to do with it. So, as a promise to himself, he decided to protect Harry as well as he could, without being suspicious. Over the years he had turned over in his head the fact that James had saved his life, and Snape could find no other way to put it, so, as a sort of salvation and pay back to James, Snape guarded Harry, the boy that could have been Snape's child, and then went back to hating both Harry and James in peace.  
  
But the real test to Snape's character came in Harry's fourth year, when the Triwizard Tournament came to Hogwarts. Along with this three tasked, three participant challenge came the delegates from the other most prominent schools of magic in Europe and their Headmaster and Headmistress.  
  
Although it wasn't the half-giant of a Headmistress, Madame Olympe Maxime, from Beauxbatons Academy in France, or her Veelan delegate. But rather from the other school, Durmstrang Institution from Germany, and from its delegate, Viktor Krum, and Headmaster, Igor Karkaroff.  
  
First, Karkaroff knew Snape as a Death-Eater, as was he, and since the dark mark on their upper arms were growing darker, they both were apprehensive to admit the fact that Voldemort was growing stronger as well.  
  
And as if that weren't enough, Viktor was Snape's very own cousin, sharing many of the same physical qualities as Snape himself. Viktor was Snape's cousin on his father's side, being the "forgotten" branch of the Snape family. Snape's grandmother and grandfather gave birth to a girl that was a sqiub (muggle child born of wizard parents). She was felt more with shame to the family, so she married a wizard to compensate, and gave birth to two sons, the younger of those being Viktor.  
  
And in the middle of this entire mental mess was a new job from Dumbledore and McGonagall. Snape was allowed to know that Hermione was the heir to position of the Lady of the Lake and Draco to the position of Merlin, for one reason; to observe Draco and to make sure that he was not becoming overly involved in the dark arts. Now Snape accepted because he had been a friend of Narcissa's, and now since Snape saw the dark mark growing more clear, he knew that Lucius would be even more radical about making his son a death-eater.  
  
In Snape's reality, this was one of the worst years at Hogwarts he had ever had. But a scare did come on Christmas, one that Karkaroff wasn't ready for.  
  
"Severus, you can't keep putting off the fact that you-know-who's coming back!" Igor Karkaroff said frantically, vigorously twirling his finger around his goatee. "Or at least getting stronger!"  
  
"Igor, I know what Voldemort wants to do to me, but can't you see we are safe if we stay within the castle and it's grounds. Voldemort would never come near here." Snape said rationally. Igor was completely losing his mind with fear because the mark on his upper arm had glowed almost a deep purple, when it had remained dormant for the past few weeks.   
  
"But how many of us will be delighted when You-know-who comes back?" Karkaroff whispered and then swallowed a lump in his throat. "How many will be happy to kill you or me for betraying them?"  
  
"If you mean you would have rather stayed on Voldemort's side, then you must beg for mercy, which doesn't always come naturally to the dark lord." Snape said coldly, but he sighed heavily afterwards. "We are as safe as we could ever be here."  
  
"That is what you believe, Severus," Karkaroff said swiftly, and he turned on his heel and started out, but had only reached the threshold of the dungeon door before turning around. "Tell old Dumbledore that he needs to keep that Hermione Granger safe. I've talked to her at the ball, and believe me, it was not only Viktor who was impressed. Voldemort will find out she's powerful and intelligent, a rival to even he. She reminds me of the girl that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named ranted about, what was he name? …Ah yes, it was Lily Evans, I do believe." And with that he left through the door, his footsteps resounding off the walls for quite some time.  
  
Karkaroff's final words echoed over and over again in Snape's brain. Hermione…, remind him of…of…Lily? But the more he thought about it, the more rational the idea became. Voldemort had chosen his heir, and the heir's potential wife, but Snape didn't that think Voldemort could have chose a more unlikely pair. I mean, come on, Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger?  
  
Draco was going through some pretty hard times himself. But the more he heard about being a death-eater, the more it appealed to him. He found it much more exciting than being the future Merlin. But every time this battle would go on in his head, he would begin to think of his mother, and slowly edge back toward being the Merlin.  
  
The climax came on June 24th, the day of the third and last task of the Triwizard Tournament. In all actuality, the signs that June 24th would not be a good day started early that morning, when Hermione woke up and drug herself out of bed to get something to drink. The night had been filled with anxieties about Harry and Viktor, but mostly more for Harry she had slept less than two hours and when she stared hazily at her bedside clock it read 3:24 A.M. Hermione got herself a glass of water and stared out the window as she started to drink it, but what she saw in the sky almost made her wish she hadn't woke up at all.  
  
The moon was as near to a full moon than it could be, but it wasn't the size of the moon that startled Hermione so bad, it was it's color. The moon's glow was blood red, only to her really, as it was meant for her eyes only because it was a warning from the Goddess that something bad was going to happen. Hermione could never get to sleep now, so she sent herself to Professor Dumbledore and Professor MeGonagall.   
  
Now, usually, only full priestesses can do this, but Hermione was quite dynamic. She sends an apparition to whoever she wanted to and tells them the message.  
  
Dumbledore was awoken by an unearthly touch on his arm, and opened his eyes to see a white, but almost golden outline of a person. He put on his spectacles to find that it was a specter of Hermione Granger, waiting for him to wake up. "Be on the alert today, Professor," it murmured, hardly recognizing the surprise on the Merlin's face. "The Goddess sends her worst messenger, a red moon, to warn everyone today. Be prepared for the most awful of news and the most evil of actions." And with that the specter melted away. Minerva received the same message.   
  
Hermione had a sleepless night, but Professor Dumbledore waited until morning to talk to Minerva about the whole thing. At breakfast, Dumbledore was the first to open up the subject.  
  
"Minerva, how long has Hermione been able to make herself a messenger?" Dumbledore asked quietly, making sure no one else but Minerva hear.  
  
"Since she was ten," Minerva answered simply, but all of the sudden she became suspicious. "Why do you ask, Albus?"  
  
"Miss Granger came to me last night as a misty courier, saying that the Goddess had given her a sign of utmost caution." Dumbledore looked at McGonagall very seriously as he finished her sentence.  
  
"The girl is trustworthy enough, she came to me as well, but I hope it is not needed. The Goddess has given us unusual signs before, but I pray that it is not as grave as Hermione made it out to be." Minerva said, very sure of her answer.  
  
"Only time will tell," Dumbledore sighed, and he turned back to his scrambled eggs.  
  
Unfortunately for everyone, the warning did prove to be true. Voldemort had had a secret servant at the school, pinned to make Voldemort's plan work. Voldemort did rise again and Harry's protection was demolished by an ancient dark magic rebirth potion. The worst thing was that Karkaroff fled that night, hoping to save himself, but only to put more people in the path of Voldemort's wrath.  
  
When Dumbledore heard the news, well, the first hand account from Harry, Dumbledore was actually glad that Voldemort had made the mistake of choosing Harry to provide the "Blood of the enemy" in his rebirthing process.  
  
You see, Voldemort made his last mistake in getting his own revenge. Since Harry had saved Wormtail's life in his third year at Hogwarts, and since Voldemort used Wormtail as his "Flesh of the Servant", there is something wrong with his triumph. Wormtail was in Harry's debt, meaning that the potion did not have complete effect. So, right now Voldemort can touch Harry, but year after year, the power will deteriorate, unlike with any other witch or wizard. Another mistake that could have been prevented would, once again make Voldemort eat his words.  
  
That night, Dumbledore had seen that Fudge was not ready to believe that Voldemort had come back and that all they had tried to rebuild in the past fourteen years. Fudge would not accept that they had to get rid of the dementors because of the threat they now posed, as they would rejoin Voldemort as soon as he asked them. As the guards of Azkaban (wizard equivalent to Alcatraz), they would set all of Voldemort's followers free. Fudge also didn't want to believe that they needed to make allies with the giants, which is unheard of for wizards.  
  
No one ready to believe it all, not even Harry, who had seen it all happen. Snape was reunited with Sirius, one that was hostile, but one that could definitely improve with time, and when I say with time, I mean with time. But Severus knew what he had to do, and it put himself and others in danger, may it be present or future peril.  
  
"Severus," said Dumbledore, turning to Snape. He had already sent Bill Weasly to his father, Arthur Weasly, to warn him about the recent happenings, and Sirius Black to hide out at Lupin's for awhile. "You know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready…If you are prepared…"  
  
"I am," said Snape.  
  
"Then good luck," said Dumbledore. And Snape left through the door looking slightly pale. He half-ran through the front doors and pelted into the Forbidden Forest, tearing through the underbrush that threatened to slow him down.  
  
Snape's challenge was to find Karkaroff, before Voldemort caught him and used him for information, telling all he knew about Snape, Hermione, and Harry. But Snape was now putting himself in unimaginable danger. If Voldemort knew, if he somehow found out that Snape had gone away from the school grounds, he would be on him like a duck on a June bug. (I need to thank my grandmother for that one!) But by the time he had gotten anywhere, Karkaroff was far away and it was unknown if he had been captured already or not. Snape apparated as close as he could to Hogwarts, so he wouldn't have to run so much to relay information back to Dumbledore, information that was not welcome to the present situation.  
  
"Go on, go on," said Voldemort, growing a bit impatient with this former death-eater and waving his hand to show his feeling. Karkaroff cowered even more towards the floor.  
  
"Hermione Granger, sir," sputtered Karkaroff, bruised and battered because of the many times he had suffered through the Cruciatus Curse. "She is special, Dumbledore is hiding something about her."  
  
"That old fool," Voldemort almost seemed to laugh to himself, almost. There was at least an evil smirk rising on his lips, but in a second, it had disappeared. "What's Dumbledore got up his sleeve this time?"  
  
"I know not much more," Karkaroff awaited the flash of pure pain, but was happy that he didn't feel it. "My Lord, Hermione reminds me of that woman you always used talk about, Master, Lily Evans."  
  
At that moment, Karkaroff knew he had said something that Voldemort didn't want to hear. Maybe it was the fact that Voldemort's face had contorted into a look that showed both his anger and annoyance at the same time, or maybe it was merely the fact that Karkaroff's own face gnarled with agony as he once again felt pure, undiluted pain.  
  
"We all know what happened to Miss Evans," Voldemort looked around at all of his followers. "And I'm sure you do not want that to happen to you. So, Hermione Granger reminds you of Lily…Lucius!" Mr. Malfoy scuttled foreword from the circle of cohorts that surrounded both Voldemort and Karkaroff.  
  
"Yes, Master?" Lucius muttered from beneath his mask, which muffled his voice greatly.   
  
"Do you know anything about this Hermione Granger character?" said Voldemort, evidently interested in Dumbledore's new "Secret Weapon". "How old she is, what house she's in, what makes her so special, and the like…"  
  
"Miss Granger is in my son's year and is in Gryffindor house," Lucius said, and Voldemort looked as if he winced at those words. "She extraordinarily smart, and is a mudblood," Voldemort could tell that Lucius hated her.  
  
"Lucius, I'm sure you remember how you loved the jog I provided for you," Voldemort said.  
  
"Yes, my Lord, you were and are always so merciful and generous to me," Lucius replied.  
  
"I should think that it would be your desire to torture Miss Granger?" Voldemort hinted. Lucius fell to the ground and kissed the hem of Voldemort's robes. "Lucius, get up!" Voldemort said, almost annoyed.  
  
"I am sorry, Master, but you are so charitable," Lucius flattered, picking himself off the ground.  
  
"How is your son by the way, keeping him as far away from Avalon, I presume?" Voldemort eyed Lucius closely as if to say 'or else'.  
  
"Yes, yes, my Lord," said Lucius, rather quickly, which made Voldemort a little skeptical about Lucius's truthfulness. "But Narcissa is having some effect on the boy. It's not that he wants to be the Merlin," Lucius added quickly, finally noticing a look of subtle, yet clear skepticism from Voldemort, which isn't good. "It's as if he feels sorry for her."  
  
"You have got to keep the boy under your influence and not let his mother get to him," Voldemort now turned to speak to all of the death-eaters. "Once we have gotten rid of Avalon upon this Earth, our path to victory and to dominance will be clear!"   
  
They continued to question Karkaroff, but never let him be a regular death-eater again. Once they had extracted all the information they could from him, he had had so many memory charms placed upon him, poor Karkaroff didn't even remember his own name, so the death-eaters, including Voldemort, decided to dispose of him.  
  
The word of Karkaroff's death spread to Dumbledore's ears by means of his allies and spies. Dumbledore went to Snape at once.  
  
"Severus," Dumbledore said, entering Snape's office, where Snape sat behind his desk, but almost at once he stood up, as if his seat had spontaneously combusted.  
  
"What is it Dumbledore? Is everything all right? Is everyone all right?" The tense nature of the current times had caused any small action, any tiny misconduct was regarded with the utmost care.  
  
"It seems that all of our precautions have gone to waste," Dumbledore said, and then he sighed, very heavily. "Karkaroff has been captured and, after revealing what must have been the jackpot of information about us…"   
  
Even though Dumbledore continued to talk, Snape heard no other word after that. It struck him what Karkaroff would have told Voldemort under Imperius Curse (Unforgivable curse of total control of a another person) or under Veritaserum (Strongest known truth serum known to date). Snape mind finally found what it was looking for, what Karkaroff had said about Hermione. 'I've talked with her, and believe me, Viktor was not the only one that was impressed.'… "My God," Snape whispered, now speaking with bated breath. "Dumbledore, I think I know who Voldemort wants to kill…"  
  
"Who, Severus?" Dumbledore said, with a fire in light blue eyes.  
  
"Miss Granger," Snape said, and he looked up at Dumbledore, trying to believe it wasn't true. "Voldemort already knows that she's intelligent from Lucius, and now Voldemort knows there's more about her than there seems to be."  
  
The fire in Dumbledore's eyes had gone out and now were replaced with a quite urgent blaze that let you know something was wrong. "We must alert Minerva," said Dumbledore quickly, "and Durmstrang, their search for a new headmaster is for certain now, Karkaroff is never coming back, he's most likely already been killed by Voldemort, since Karkaroff really doesn't know that much, not at all what Voldemort wished he knew. This changes everything, Severus, we need to put Hermione under higher protection immediately, and Draco, well, I just hope we can keep him on the right path, how persistent will Lucius be? You know him better than I do."  
  
Snape thought hard. True he did know Severus well, but it had been so long when they were friends. Now, Lucius heavily disliked Snape, thinking him a betrayer to the brotherhood of being a death-eater.  
  
"Well," Snape hesitated, still trying to remember. "It depends on what Lucius is fighting for, but fighting for control over his son's future, I would think that he would be very enduring in making sure he made Draco a death-eater."  
  
"Severus, I trust you to tell Narcissa about the recent happenings, I must talk to Minerva," Dumbledore said quickly, and then he swept out of the door. But he needn't have started towards Minerva's office so fast, Dumbledore met Minerva three staircases out of Snape's office.  
  
"Merlin," said Minerva, trying to catch her breath. By the color of her cheeks, she had sprinted as fast as she could to get to the Merlin. "Don't worry, I have Kenda telling Hermione and her parents the news. Hopefully we can arrange something that would allow Hermione and her parents to stay in close contact."  
  
"Perhaps," said Dumbledore, looking extremely worried. "But we need her as safe as she can be, now that Voldemort's back, there's no doubt that his followers will do anything to please him, and getting a hold of Hermione would be the best thing a death-eater could do to have total redemption."  
  
A/N: I hope you guys liked it, I don't think I could have done it any better…well, it's up to you. For the delay I give you bandannas, blue ball point pens, and trailers of the second Harry Potter movie. I hope you all are enjoying summer and I promise, chapter 11 will be information you don't know. Thank you soo much! Epequa. 


	11. Chapter 11 Envious Emerald

Hey! Thanks to all of those who reviewed, I'm glad you liked it! Well, here's my interpretation on how the future of everything and everyone works. This is really factual, but I hope a bit action packed at the very least. I highly recommend the movie 'Gladiator' to everyone. Although it is very gory (which adds effect) it is a very good story and it now has me raving over Joaquin Phoenix's wonderful performance (and everybody else's as well). I want to say another thanks to everyone who took time out of their lives to read this VERY long story. (Me such a sap!) But really, you guys rock, and your comments, well, THANK YOU!!!!!!   
  
Disclaimer: I'm really happy that you guys enjoy my plot, and the characters that are J.K. Rowling's and the additions that are Marion Zimmer Bradley's, which are not mine. (I hope that's enough clarity.)  
  
Useless Information: Well, I'm into Mark Twain right now, so I'm going to give you another of his quotes! "Put all your eggs in one basket and - WATCH THAT BASKET!" - Mark Twain (The guy's a genius!)  
  
If Time is All We've Lost  
  
Chapter 11 - Envious Emerald  
  
"You're cold that way   
And that's why you say   
The things that you say   
  
You can't attract   
The things that you lack   
You're trying in vain."  
  
Jars of Clay / 'Crazy Times'  
  
Kenda picked Hermione up at the train station under the alias of Hermione's aunt. Kenda helped Hermione with her trunk and Crookshanks. Once out of eyeshot from the muggles and all the wizards and witches that were coming home from school, Crookshanks resumed his normal form, a full grown man. It was Gus Fletcher, his red hair the same color as the cat's ginger hair and a squashed face not unlike Crookshank's as well. Gus had agreed to do this because of the safety of James's son. Once a marauder's friend, always a marauder's friend. Gus was also one of the only ones that knew that Sirius was innocent. Gus now resided on Dragon Isle, continually discussing new tactics with the Merlin.  
  
Unfortunately, the Merlin would not arrive on Dragon Isle for the next few days. After securing that Hermione was fine, he still had to arrange Harry's summer situation, make peace with giants before Voldemort did, and somehow do away with the dementors. All of this had to be done behind the British Minister of Magic's back. But the Merlin had his ways, and he was building alliances with all the other Ministers, which would convince Fudge better than he could ever do.  
  
Gus was the first to talk as they headed up the hill, towards the transport sector, a specified area where they could transport themselves to Avalon. (Like the one in Chapter 1 with Lily and Narcissa)  
  
"Hermione," Gus said, staring very pensively at the ground before looking at her. "Who was that blond haired boy that tried to hex you?"  
  
"Oh, him…" Hermione said and her face contorted in disgust. "That's Draco Malfoy, and he's a stuck-up git. Actually, he did elongate my teeth this year and I think it was because I don't think he's over the fact that I slapped him."   
  
To Hermione's surprise, both Kenda and Gus had wide eyes when Hermione told them this. "I mean, really, he deserved it. He's an egotistical prat." Hermione said, trying to convince them of her motives.  
  
"You know, Hermione," said Gus, looking at her. "I went to school with his father. He seems to take after him. Have you met his mother?" Kenda shot Gus an angry look, but Hermione didn't notice it.  
  
"As a matter of fact, I have," Hermione said, but there was no way to tell if she loved or hated the woman. "Only for a little while, we were in the top box together at the Quidditch World Cup. She looked very unhappy if you ask me. Why?"  
  
"I knew her well before she married Lucius," Gus dropped his lids painfully, remembering her before she had moved to Slytherin. "She's very different from her husband, really."  
  
Kenda cleared her throat nervously, as though she thought Gus was disclosing too much information to Hermione, which Hermione caught. "We're here…" she said.  
  
As soon as they had completed their circle and said,   
  
"Guide us, great Goddess,   
to the place that You call home  
To the Isle of Avalon, Your place,  
may it stay Your own.  
  
Surrounded by the sacred mists  
A curtain to shield in serenity.  
A magic that remains unknown,  
let it flow now through me."  
  
A flash of blue light burst between them, and then they were on the edge of Avalon, the little boat coming toward them.   
  
"It seems so long since I have been here," Hermione stated, her eyes very glassy. "May I part the mists?"  
  
"Of course you may," Kenda said, smiling. And as soon as they had approached the mists, Hermione stood up, closed her eyes, and raised her arms in the air. Her fingertips touching each other, she parted her arms slowly, the mists following their lead obediently. Slowly, the oarsmen rowed to the shore. A little girl was waiting expectantly for Hermione, with a few older priestess and the Lady herself standing nearby.  
  
"Her-mi-nee!!!" the little girl exclaimed, rushing to the shore. "You're back!" And she hugged Hermione's knees before Hermione could kneel to embrace her.  
  
"Tania!" Hermione said, finally looking at the now six year-old girl. "Look how much you've grown! You're going to be taller than me soon." Hermione stood up and looked at everyone else.  
  
First there was Lycoris, an older priestess who kept the gardens on Avalon. She was Delia's only daughter and loved Hermione because she was so helpful in keeping the gardens pruned and watered, and she loved the plants themselves. Lycoris greeted Hermione in her usual fashion, a hug, and, "You've still got a green thumb, I hope?"  
  
"Of course," said Hermione jovially, which made Lycoris happy as well. "And how is Delia?"  
  
Lycoris sighed heavily, which made Hermione tense up in fear. Delia was now over ninety, and still the only Speaker on the island. But Lycoris laughed when she saw Hermione's face. "Do not worry about her. I will be very surprised if the Goddess herself could kill her. She is tutoring Tegwyn at this very moment." Lycoris said. "She will be very pleased to see you."  
  
Tegwyn was another priestess, about twenty or so, that was chosen to fulfill Delia's place once she had deceased, if that was even possible. Delia had outlived all of her other children; Breyon, her beloved son that had died while fighting in World War II, Elva, a daughter that had died in childbirth in Greece, and Devinne, a baby girl that had not survived her first winter on the island, despite all their attempts to aid her. Delia was kind and wise, a very omniscient vibe always came from her, which she had earned by living ninety-two years.  
  
Next was Shardae, a girl the same age as Hermione who was undergoing training similar to Hermione's and had become a valuable friend of hers. Shardae didn't go to a wizarding school because she wasn't a witch. Shardae was a muggle, but she had devoted her life to what she believed, like others on the island. The Goddess saw past magic and all other barriers, for only she knew who would help her most, and who would send disaster.   
  
"The House of Maidens was getting boring without you, Hermione," Shardae said truthfully. "I can't wait to hear about everyone at your school!"  
  
"Oh! I'm full of stories this year, Shardae, don't worry," Hermione said, giving Shardae a hug as well. "I've missed someone to talk to!" This was true, very true indeed. She had friends at Hogwarts, but, being a priestess of Avalon was a big part of her life, and it was hard only being able to talk about it to Minerva and Dumbledore.  
  
Migina was next in line. She was a middle-aged, eccentric, and beautiful African-American woman. Being the only priestess from America, she wasn't on the island much because she spent much of her time handling the dealings that occurred over there.  
  
"The real question should be…Are you ready for my stories?" Migina muttered, chortling as she squeezed Hermione.  
  
"I can't wait!" said Hermione expectantly.  
  
"Then you're in for an earful, at the very least!" Migina informed her. "A lot has happened in the past year, and I'm not just talking about You-Know-Who…"  
  
And last, other than the Lady, was Lani, who had just became a full priestess last summer. Her mother had been a priestess and her father a priest, so she was raised on the island. Unfortunately, her mother had passed away only a few months before from natural causes, and it had dampened Lani's spirit ever since, but she kept mostly positive. Hermione admired her for that, and for the fact that she did go through the same priestess training as she and Shardae, and had no complaints.  
  
Becoming a priestess was hard, no doubt about that. Besides all the training and learning you went through during your time on the island, there was a week of preparation before your full initiation. This was preparing you for the tests of the elements, water, earth, air, and fire. But since Hermione was to be the Lady, there was the test of the Goddess, which, being her most holy right, was the hardest to bear on a human being, physically, mentally, and emotionally. The Merlin would undergo similar trials before he could become the most important person on Dragon Isle.  
  
Lani didn't speak, but there was a glint in her eyes that told Hermione that Lani was very happy to see her. Finally, the Lady spoke up.  
  
"Come, we have a guest here and a guest to arrive in the morning, we must prepare!" Minerva said, clapping her hands. "And tonight we will celebrate the homecoming of Gus and Hermione!"  
  
"And you, Lady!" Tania piped up as she grasped Hermione's hand and started to make her way up the hill. "We mustn't forget you!"  
  
"Of course not," Minerva heard Hermione say to Tania. Lycoris came up behind her.  
  
"I don't think we've had a girl like her on the island since, well, Lily," Lycoris said, looking at Hermione help Tania up the steepest part of the hill.   
  
"Narcissa also," Minerva muttered, her thoughts swimming around in her head. Kenda rushed up to Minerva.  
  
"Excuse me," Kenda gasped, trying to catch up. "May I have a word with you, Lady?"  
  
"I'll be in the gardens later," said Minerva to Lycoris. "I'll help you make the meal for tonight's celebration." Lycoris bowed, and took the left at the next fork, heading towards the gardens, while Minerva and Kenda took a right, headed for the House of Maidens and the other main buildings.  
  
Minerva could tell Kenda was very nervous about something. "What is wrong, Kenda?" She asked at last, wondering whatever could also be wrong with the world at that moment.  
  
"It is about the future Merlin," Kenda gulped, still very shaky. "He is Narcissa's son, and yet, all I see is his father. Gus said that he tried to hex Hermione and Harry on the train back today and Hermione can't stand him. How are they supposed to work together, like you and the Merlin now?"  
  
"We can only pray, Kenda," Minerva said in a final tone, and Kenda left, knowing the conversation had come to an end. Minerva now walked very slowly now, allowing her thoughts to come full force. True, Hermione was the best candidate for the Lady Avalon had seen in many years, but how would Avalon and Dragon Isle work if they're leaders didn't get along?   
  
Then the most horrible thought entered Minerva's already full mind. They would have to work together, there was no doubt about that, but would she be forced to confront Hermione about the situation as she did with Lily? The Goddess loved Hermione, surely she wouldn't punish her? Something later on that night put her fears to rest, well, at least most of them.  
  
As the feast started, Hermione was in deep conversation with Migina about recent happenings in the muggle world, especially in America. "Oh, it was horrible! Absolutely devastating to everyone there!"  
  
"What happened?" Hermione asked, but not really wanting to know. If it was half as bad as it sounded, Hermione wasn't sure if she wanted to hear it or not.  
  
"In New York there are two huge towers, and on September 11th, terrorists flew planes into them and knocked them down." Migina said, shaking her head. "But you wouldn't believe it, it's made that country stronger! They're banning together to help everyone, really showing those terrorists up, eh?"  
  
"That's amazing! You wouldn't think that something that good could come out of that dreadful," Hermione said in awe.   
  
"Really," Migina said, exasperated as she swallowed a piece of barley bread. "I think that wizards underestimate how well muggles recover and rebuild. It's quite odd though, I mean, we wizards are now faced with aspect of Voldemort back in his full power…"  
  
"What was it like, Migina, when Voldemort was in full power in America?" Hermione wondered aloud, taking a sip of water.  
  
"Oh it was awful. There were spies there too, so you really didn't know who you could trust. You never knew if you would touch a portkey if you picked up a piece of trash. Total paranoia." Migina explained. "But know, there's the aspect of terrorists, which affects both wizard and muggle, and Voldemort and the rebirth of his type of terrorists. They affect the muggles, but, its an unknown threat to them, unless the Minister chooses to alert the public."  
  
"Who is the American Minister of Magic?" asked Hermione, more interested in the discussion than in her meal.  
  
"That would be Aiden Rainer," Migina said, waving her fork. "Wonderful man! So much better than that Fudge. He's good friends with Dumbledore and there's no doubt that Rainer will be one of the ones to convince Fudge to rid Azkaban of those repulsive dementors and to ally with giants."  
  
Meanwhile, there was entirely different conversation going on at the other end of the table. Gus, Minerva, Lycoris, and Kenda were all talking about the past year, which was really summed up in the past few weeks.  
  
"The Merlin is the most prestigious office that we hold, other than the Lady," Gus half said and half whispered. "Are we right to give this place to someone like Draco Malfoy?"  
  
"The Goddess has chosen him for a reason," said Lycoris, shaking her head. "We cannot deny what the Goddess has decreed, no matter how bizarre it may seem."  
  
"But will he turn his back on the God and Goddess and retreat back into being a death eater?" Kenda asked, fear overflowing in her eyes.   
  
"No, he will not," Minerva said, speaking up for the first time and alarming everyone. Gus, Kenda, and Lycoris stared at her. "I do not care how he his persuaded now, but he will not, I repeat, will not, turn back on his mother, his faith, and his destiny. The Goddess does not make mistakes, and I refuse to believe that this is Her first. Draco is special, as special as Hermione is and Lucius will not win him over as long as the Goddess keeps me alive on this Earth." That conversation was over at the end of that powerful sentence.  
  
Minerva made her way down the labyrinthine path, going towards the well, and the silver bowl. Goddess willing, one could look into the bowl and see into the future, both the immediate and far future.   
  
She bent over the bowl, staring into it. Ripples grazed over the water, caused by a small gust of wind. As the ripples cleared, there was a picture. It was Draco, in a face paint mask, being tested by the Goddess. It was the best of visions that the Goddess could give, but one thing haunted Minerva; What thing would make Draco so sure of becoming the Merlin of Britain?  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted by Hermione, shaking her out of her trance. Minerva was lucky it was Hermione, for any of the older priestesses would have questioned her, which would be depriving on the body the next day. She had no doubt in her mind that Hermione knew this fact, and Hermione, being selfless, knew that Minerva would be in no state to see the Merlin tomorrow if she pushed the vision upon her.  
  
Hermione had been out walking with Tania, and they both helped Minerva back to her quarters, where Kenda took care of her. Tania and Hermione returned to the house of maidens, and both had a peaceful night's sleep, which was good, because the next day would be quite eventful.  
  
The Merlin arrived early the next morning, along with Wendell, the bard. They ate, and then were escorted around the island. Hermione had never met Wendell before, so she decided to get to know him better.  
  
"Ah, and this must be Hermione," Wendell said fondly, shaking her hand. "It is a pleasure to meet the future Lady of Avalon." He bowed to her. "I am at your service."  
  
Hermione giggled. No one had ever shown her that much reverence. "Actually, I was wondering if you could teach me   
about the harp. I know a little, but nothing compared to you."  
  
Wendell's middle-aged face showed a tinge of pink when he smiled. "Of course I will. You may use my harp." He took the large sack off his back, which allowed him to straighten up. He unwrapped the harp and set it upright. It was beautiful, made of dark ebony. Hermione was in awe, and was almost afraid that if she touched it, it would crumble before her eyes.  
  
"May I?" Hermione asked, and when he nodded, she plucked one of the strings. It sounded so majestic, so free.  
  
"You may play if you wish. Go on, show me what you already know," He said with interest.  
  
Hermione sat on a nearby stool and took the harp in her arms. Her fingers danced across the strings, forming a well known tune on Avalon, which was giving life as Hermione added her voice.  
  
"The winter snow is white and fair-  
Lost, 'tis lost and I sit mourning-  
It melts and leaves earth moist and bare.  
Oh, it may come again,  
but never twice the same.  
  
The flower that blooms proclaims the spring-  
Lost, 'tis lost and I sit mourning-  
For it must fall, the fruits to bring.  
Oh, it may come again,  
but never twice the same.  
  
The summer fields with grain blaze gold-  
Lost, 'tis lost and I sit mourning-  
Cut down for bread for winter's cold.  
Oh, it may come again,  
but never twice the same.  
  
The autumn chill gives the sun bright glow-  
Lost, 'tis lost and I sit mourning-  
Prepares the way for the virgin snow.  
Oh, may it come again,  
but never twice the same." (A/N: The first three verses are in the book, Lady of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley, but the last verse was made up by yours truly)  
  
From the moment Hermione started playing, everyone on the island stood still, and as soon as she stopped, they went back to their work, as if under a trance.  
  
"Very good, Hermione," Wendell said, looking very excited. "I think I can teach a few more songs, but your playing was exquisite!"  
  
Minerva and Merlin were headed up the rocky path towards Tor (A place that is Stonehenge like and very important to Avalon and Dragon Isle.) when they heard Hermione's voice. They stopped and listen, then continued in silence, until the Merlin finally spoke.  
  
"Hermione is in danger," Merlin said, looking at Minerva, who had no response whatsoever. "More danger than we first had thought. Voldemort knows about her, but not enough. Karkaroff has probably told him about how special she is, but not about her priestess-hood."  
  
"Hermione has her head on straight, I have fewer concerns about her than I have about Draco." Minerva said, shaking her head. "I know that he will be Merlin in the end, but what will change his mind. Will Lucius die?"  
  
"I don't think any of us have the right to guess, for only the Goddess knows for sure," Merlin said heavily. "There are many ways, and Lucius's death could be one of them. But I don't think we could begin to guess…all we have left is patience. Patience and hope…"  
  
"Merlin, what about the Rights?" Minerva said, stopping dead in her tracks, as if just noticing this flaw in their plan.  
  
"I knew I could count on you to remind me of that," Merlin chuckled. "Minerva, in our time, and with our positions, it was not a shameful thing, which I hope it is not to them. But with the extreme dislike and high expectations of their peers, I do believe the God and Goddess would not be dissatisfied with a single kiss. But we cannot tell them who the other really is, or their knowledge of the other's reputation will overshadow the true meaning of the Rights. We will use middle names, for they most likely do not know the other's. What do you think, Lady?"  
  
"I knew I could count on you," Minerva said, smiling broadly. "Have we protected the Grangers?"  
  
"As best as we can," Merlin said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Harry is only to stay at the Dursleys for two weeks, at the very most, to keep him safe while Mr. Weasley is away on my instructions. I am allowing Mr. Weasley to tell Harry why Voldemort wanted to kill him."  
  
"Albus," Minerva said shakily. "Are you sure he is ready?"  
  
"I am very sure," Merlin said, very taken aback with Minerva's reaction. "Harry lives his life on questions with which he has no answers for. This is what we can give him now, later he will know more."  
  
The next day, Hermione and Tania went to help Lycoris as promised. Today they were picking coriander and rhubarb, which were needed to make a serum to ease the pain of childbirth, which they were running low of. Tania stumbled on one of the rocks and skinned her knee on it. Shardae came and got her, taking her to the House of Maidens to be taken care of. Lycoris and Hermione continued to work without her.   
  
"Hermione," Lycoris said, wiping her brow. "Would you go to the far edge of the garden to get that last bunch of coriander? I'll go ahead and take these to the shed, and you can meet me there."  
  
"Sounds good to me," Hermione started down the row of plants, finally reaching the very edge of the garden and picking the coriander carefully. As she turned to leave, she found that she couldn't. She was surrounded by mist similar to those that guarded the isle. Had she gone too far? Was she in the land of the Faeries? A haze surrounded her, and a golden figure descended before her, toes barely touching the ground, levitating in the air. She was a beautiful woman, a sort of unearthly beauty.  
  
"Hermione Granger," Her voice was soft and kind, yet it sounded so distant. "I am Sheannon, the Faerie Queen. My child is being raised on the island. She often talks about you. I am so glad you are her mentor, I had chosen you long ago…"  
  
"Tania is your daughter?" Hermione asked, completely transfixed.  
  
"Yes," Sheannon's voice was not harsh but still extremely gentle. "Her father was one of the mortal folk, and Minerva has been kind enough to teach her the ways of the priestess. I knew that she needed a good influence, or she would never reach her full potential, and I chose you to help her."  
  
"But how?" Hermione said, astonished and confused at the same time. "I am nine years older than she, how could you know that I would be her mentor?"  
  
"Never underestimate the ways of the Faerie," Sheannon said knowledgeably. "But it is your future that scares me."  
  
"My future?" Hermione was now feeling prickles on the back of her neck.  
  
"Lord Voldemort is not only after Harry, but after you," Sheannon stated, without any emotion showing on her face. "He knows you are extraordinary, so much that you might even be a threat to him."  
  
"A threat…to…to…You-Know-Who?" Hermione gulped. This was just too much.  
  
"Hermione, I bestow on you the blessing of the Faerie folk," Sheannon's voice rang in Hermione's ears. "You will never be alone. You are a princess to my people." She kissed Hermione lightly on her forehead.  
  
"Forever protected and never forgotten," Sheannon echoed, and her figure disappeared from sight. Hermione felt herself hit the ground and heard Lycoris's voice, but she couldn't open her eyes, everything around her was slowly slipping away.  
  
"Oh, my- Hermione!" Lycoris saw Hermione hit the ground, so Lycoris dropped what she was holding, ran over, and tried to revive her, but her attempt was in vain. "Help!" Lycoris yelled, praying that someone would hear her. "Please, someone, anyone - help!"  
  
The Lady and Merlin were almost to the top of the Tor when they heard Lycoris.  
  
"This can't be good," the Lady said, as she turned her head in an attempt to hear the calls better. "Lycoris never looses her head like this. This has to be a true emergency."  
  
The Lady apparated at once, which left the Merlin standing flabbergasted by himself, but within a few seconds he too apparated to the urgent scene.  
  
Once the Lady landed firmly on the ground, she sprinted across the field to see what had really happened. Lycoris was bending over a lifeless form, that proved to be Hermione. The Merlin arrived soon after.  
  
Minerva stared at Hermione, waiting for any form of movement, but when it didn't come, Minerva began to worry as well. The Merlin silently stood beside Minerva.  
  
"Don't worry, Lady," the Merlin said, looking intently at Hermione's lifeless nature. "She has only sustained a very powerful visit, one that most priestesses usually survive." He lifted Hermione up, but he looked so frail, and brushed her hair away from the top of her brow. There was a mark, shaped like a star, the glowed bright blue. "Just as I suspected. The Faerie Queen has given Hermione protection, not unlike the type that Lily's sacrifice gave Harry. It will numb when danger is near."  
  
"She will wake," the Merlin was still staring at her, as though determining her condition by just looking at her. "But allow her to wake on her own, it will ease some of the stress and exhaustion.  
  
The Merlin carried Hermione back to the House of Maidens, and laid her on her bed.   
  
"Minerva," the Merlin said, after exiting the house. "Would you tell Hermione to grow her bangs back out? I don't believe that Hogwarts is ready for this yet. Voldemort is closing in, and he wants to conquer the whole world, Avalon included. I have spoken to a few ministers, and they see nothing wrong with my plan. Fudge will have to be convinced, especially since Rainer is in on it; Fudge hates getting behind the American Ministry. Hagrid and Olympe are involved in uniting most of the giants. It is as much as we can do now, all we can do is wait…"  
  
Draco was excited. Tonight was the night when he would finally meet the Dark Lord Voldemort, a most important meeting to a soon to be death-eater.  
  
Draco and his father had spent the whole day preparing (Aww, father/son activities!) for the encounter. Voldemort would examine the youngster then, seeing if he was suitable to be one of his disciples. This often came with a challenge to test loyalty and endurance.  
  
Draco was ready for anything, but the guilt was coming. He hadn't seen his mother, and he knew that, however she tried to hide it, she did not like the idea of her son becoming a death-eater.  
  
"Well," Lucius said, straightening his robe sleeves. "It is time we should be leaving, Draco, the Dark Lord values punctuality."  
  
"I'll be there in a moment," Draco said, trying to fasten the many buttons on his new robe. He heard Lucius begin to hum "Over There" and the door shut behind him. Only a few seconds afterwards, there was a soft knock on the door.  
  
"Who is it?" Draco asked impatiently as he struggled with a button, he didn't even want to fathom what would happen to him if he were late.  
  
The door creaked open to reveal his mother, slightly paler than usual. "Draco," her voice was hoarse, as though she's been crying.   
  
"Yes, mother?" Draco looked up, still fiddling with the same stubborn button.  
  
"Here, let me help you," Narcissa said, walking over and fastening his final button on his robe. "I want you to know that being a death-eater is not your only choice for your vocation. It is up to you, but you can defy your father," she stopped, amazed with what she had said, but Draco understood.  
  
"Thanks, mum," Draco smiled vaguely. He didn't feel like smiling at the moment.  
  
"Let me have a look at you," said Narcissa, looking at him carefully. "More like your father everyday, but you've still got my eyes, I hope that doesn't change." She kissed him lightly on his forehead. "Please be careful, please. I don't know what I would do without you."  
  
They heard the door open. "Draco! Are you ready yet? Voldemort doesn't like those that are fashionably late. We need to go!" And the door slammed after the ring of Lucius's voice had fallen.  
  
"I promise to be careful," Draco said hastily, running towards the door. "Love you!"  
  
Narcissa sat on the bed, breathing heavily, she thought she might start to cry again. "That boy doesn't realize how important he is," Narcissa wasn't talking to herself, but praying. "Please, whatever happens, please do not let any harm come to Draco, he will find his way. If he is in harm's way, then let me take his place." That ended her prayer, yet she never realized how powerful and true those words would become.  
  
Nagini was bored, and waiting for the new recruits was not very exciting for a snake. Only Voldemort could talk to her, and he was busy. But, for a simple snake, she had problems of her own.  
  
Nagini had been raised in captivity, in a small, cramped cage in a zoo, until that glorious day that she had been set free. That was the day that she first met someone she could talk to, a small human boy. She hated people banging and tapping on her glass, but this boy talked to her, in serpent tongue, which had amazed her.  
  
He unknowingly set her free, somehow making the glass disappear, vanish into thin air. That was the last time she saw the 'magic' boy, but remembering only one thing about him, a curiously shaped scar on his forehead. She had fled, determined not to be recaptured. In the Black Forests of Albania, she had met Voldemort, and they became friends, since he was able to talk to her as well. Being a snake, she had no idea that he was evil, she only knew what she told him.  
  
The thing that was bothering her was the boy Voldemort was after. Nagini knew nothing of a Harry Potter, except that Voldemort wanted to kill him.  
  
Earlier that summer, Voldemort had been able to transport the boy to his rebirthing ceremony. Nagini arrived later, and got a chance to see the boy. He has the same cut on his forehead as the boy that set her free did. They couldn't be the same person, could they? But because of her ignorance, Nagini didn't know if some humans had these, for she knew of people that didn't have a trace of the oddly shaped incision on their faces, or if this boy she was helping to kill, was actually the one that had set her free, which she was in debt to.  
  
Then the meeting got more interesting when two people arrived, Lucius and his son. As soon as all the death-eaters were assembled, Voldemort swept over to where Draco was, his face the only one not hidden by a mask.  
  
"Draco Malfoy," Voldemort said silkily, looking him up and down. "I can only hope that you will be more faithful than your father."  
  
"I will, master," Draco said, not scared or nervous, even though he knew everyone was looking at him.  
  
"But," Voldemort stared at Draco with his red eyes, piercing him. "I smell guilt upon you," Voldemort turned his gaze from Draco to Lucius. "Have you been letting Narcissa have free reign on him?"  
  
"For his first few years," Lucius said quietly. "But soon she had no say in his future."  
  
"You fool!" Voldemort yelled directly at Lucius's face, which did not move. "Narcissa has forces behind her, the forces that I wish to remove from this earth!"  
  
Draco felt a pang in his heart. He was still not sure about Dragon Isle, sure it was important, but being a death-eater was so much more challenging. But he loved his mother, and Voldemort knew this was going to be a problem.  
  
Voldemort slowly turned back to Draco, looking at him thoughtfully. "You will have to prove your worth and loyalty to me, not to the God and Goddess, therefore your challenge will be against their will. Let's see then…" Voldemort thought for a moment, then a brilliant idea came to him. "I want you to find out what are Potter's weaknesses. Every hero has one, and it is your job to find his."  
  
"I will, my Lord," Draco said, and he bowed deeply.  
  
"You may leave," Voldemort said, waving his hand in a dismissal sort of way. "Your father will join you shortly."  
  
And with that, Draco apparated away, landing in a field close to his mansion. He walked slowly, pondering everything in his mind. Getting information from Potter would be easy, but it was making his mind up about which way to go. If he deserted Dragon Isle and abandoned the belief that he had been raised and taught to be true, he'd be leaving his 'family' over there, which was something he did not want to do. His fifth year at Hogwarts would be starting soon, and maybe that would help him make his decision a little bit easier, Snape would help.  
  
Snape had been one of Draco's best influences, and a good person to confide in. Draco could never trust anybody with the secret that he was both for Voldemort and against him, involved with something that Voldemort himself had vowed to destroy. Snape understood, after all he did turn his back on the dark ways as well, and he felt more comfortable talking about being a death-eater with Snape than with Dumbledore. But he still discussed visits with the Sight with Dumbledore, although the Death-eater side of him wanted to make fun of the muggle-lover, but he was torn between his two destinies. Half a charade, and half a real person was Draco Malfoy.  
  
Two weeks with the Dursleys had been hell. They were at the worst as they had ever been. They no longer referred to Harry as a creature, vegetable, animal, or mineral, and anything referring to a tongue or the tongue incident was the highest form of blaspheming that could be committed at number four, Privet Drive.  
  
But now that was over, and he had finally come to the Weasly's, which, to him, was his real home. Everyone there was so happy to see him alive and well. Ron and Mr. Weasley had come to pick him up at the Dursleys in a Ministry car, so this visit was less eventful than last years. Ron said he had received some letters from Sirius about his whereabouts and information that he had learned while traveling. And one fact that confused both Ron and Harry.  
  
"Harry, dear, how have you been?" Mrs. Weasley squealed as she wrapped her arms around him.  
  
"Fine, Mrs. Weasley," he managed to say as he was being squeezed to death. "Just fine."  
  
All the other Weasleys smiled at him with a half welcoming, half sympathizing look. They hadn't changed much at all. Bill still had his long ponytail and fang earring which seemed much to the dismay of his mother.  
  
"Nice to see you again, Harry," said Bill, shaking Harry's hand.  
  
"Alloa, Harry," Charlie said enthusiastically, also shaking Harry's hand, which Harry found to be covered with yet more calluses and burns.  
  
"Norbert giving you a hard time, eh?" said Harry, smiling broadly, as did Ron, remembering the troublesome little dragon they had to leave in Charlie's care in Romania.  
  
"Not as bad as the herd of Peruvian Vipertooths that we received last month," Charlie looked exasperated at the very thought of the dragons. "Nightmare, an absolute nightmare, honestly…"  
  
"Harry!" Fred said, shaking his hand vigorously. "We've heard from dad that Quidditch is on this year, for sure."  
  
"And thanks for, um," George looked around to make sure no one was listening. "The help you gave us."  
  
"Yeah," Fred agreed. "Zonko's has offered us a spot in their Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley shops. They said its good for us youngsters to be helping wizards laugh."  
  
"Anything to help," Harry said, looking a bit crestfallen. "After all, it was my fault."  
  
"Don't talk nonsense Harry," said Fred compassionately.  
  
"Yeah, don't be so hard on yourself," said George, looking at Harry's melancholy expression. "He was bound to come back again. He's got a strong power driving him, whatever it is."  
  
"Hi, Harry," said Ginny, blushing slightly.  
  
"Ginny, how have you been?" Harry said, smiling at her.  
  
"Well enough," she replied then she turned to Ron. "When is Hermione coming?"  
  
"I already told you, she'll be here in a few days," said Ron, a little suspicious. "She's had a family emergency, why?"  
  
Harry looked at Ginny, and knew that what she would say was not going to be the complete truth. "Just wanted to know," she said rather quickly, and she ran up the stairs, her footsteps could be heard resounding through the entire house.  
  
Harry raised his eyebrows at Ron, who shrugged. They both reached a silent agreement, 'Girls'. Finally Harry realized someone was missing from the Weasley clan. When Harry pointed this out to Ron, Ron didn't seem very excited to tell Harry why Percy wasn't present.  
  
"Oh, Percy," Ron sighed heavily and rolled his eyes at the same time. "Percy was devastated with the whole Mr. Crouch thing, and has lost his faith in Fudge, so he's serving an internship in America with their minister, Aiden Rainer." Suddenly, Mrs. Weasley bustled over, waving a wooden spoon threateningly at the both of them.  
  
"Now, Ron, you help Harry take his things upstairs and then you two can help the others catch the Jarvey outside." Mrs. Weasley scowled. "I wish Arthur would just let me keep it in the garden for a few days, but he insists its cruelty to the gnomes. Well, they need to stay away and if that's what will do it, then I'll use it…" She continued rambling, but Harry and Ron left quietly to go help the other Weasley's catch the insane Jarvey, but not before some more of Harry's questions were answered.  
  
"What's happened to Ginny?" Harry asked, interested. "She's acting so different."  
  
"I know," Ron said knowledgeably. "She's been acting weird all summer, keeping a lot to herself. Oh, and Sirius says that he hadn't been getting any responses from Hermione."  
  
"Do you think she's all right?" Harry wondered, a little worried.  
  
"I don't know," said Ron, concerned. Harry saw him turn pink, and he couldn't believe Ron hadn't told Hermione that he liked her, but things would turn out, somehow.  
  
"Weird," said Harry, sighing.  
  
"Get out of the way, Hephaestus hands!" said the Jarvey to Charlie.  
  
A/N: I really did not mean for this chapter to be this long! The whole chapter was supposed to be fifth and sixth year, but this is as far as I got before I figured you'd be bored, but the coming chapters will be exciting. Thank you for reading! I give to thee Quidditch through the Ages, a capital D, Mardi Gras beads, and lip gloss to all my reviewers! Next chapter shouldn't be long! Thanks for reading, Epequa! 


	12. Chapter 12 Colbalt Motive

Hey Readers and Reviewers! (yes, you do deserve to be capitalized) Please, don't kill me; I've just been swamped with school and other stuff. I'm glad you liked that chapter, and I would like to say that Harry will be much more important in the future, despite what has happened so far. Hermione's new scar is not very visible because it's on her hairline, so she's not going to take Harry's place or anything like that, just an odd little coincidence. ; )  
  
Useless Information: Well, there have been so many quotes, but I think this one is sufficient for this chapter. "Not all who wander are lost." - J.R.R. Tolkien  
  
Disclaimer: Perhaps there will be a day when disclaimers are not needed. The calendar says today is not that day. Oh Well. Until then, all characters and settings are J.K. Rowling's and Marion Zimmer Bradley's, the measly plot that isn't even worthy to be stepped on my their feet is mine.  
  
If Time is All We've Lost  
  
Chapter 12 - Cobalt Motive  
  
"And I carry it with me like my daddy did, But I'm living the dream, that he can't live."  
  
- Jim Croche / "I Got a Name."  
  
Hermione awoke, feeling very sore, but fine all the same. Lycoris tended to her for a couple days while she recovered and Tania even came over to give her a bouquet of wild flowers and told her about how Shardae and she had gone to the Tor.  
  
"But it just wasn't the same without you, Her-mi-nee," Tania explained matter-of-factly, handing her the bunch of flowers.  
  
"Well, thank you," Hermione said, a little flabbergasted, taking the flowers and smelling them. "Don't worry, I'll be up in a few days and then we can all go to the Tor together."  
  
"Okay," Tania said, looking a little disappointed.  
  
Shardae turned to Hermione. "I hope you feel better," Shardae said shortly.  
  
"I feel better than yesterday," Hermione said truthfully, but a sudden pain in her head made her rub the place where the Faerie Queen had left the scar. "But it's my head that hurts right now."  
  
"It's for the best, right?" Shardae said uncertainly, looking at the new scar, which seemed to be burning its imprint in her head. "I mean the Goddess does everything for a reason, so this can only be for her will."  
  
"You're right," Hermione said, feeling a bit better. She hugged Shardae. "I'll be back soon, I promise." And Shardae and Tania left the house, Tania's figure bobbing enthusiastically as they walked through the threshold. The Merlin and Lady came in next.  
  
"Oh, Merlin, I'm sorry this had to happen while you are here-," Hermione began, but the Merlin cut her off.  
  
"Do not say such things, Hermione," the Merlin said softly. "I am glad it has happened, but I must ask you some questions. Is that all right with you?"  
  
"Of course it is," Hermione said, wondering what sort of question could be so terrible.  
  
"What did the Faerie Queen say to you?" the Merlin fixated his light blue gaze on Hermione as he spoke. Hermione, on the other hand, was closing her eyes, straining to recover the memory, but wincing in a spasm of pain that shot across the place where the new scar lay.  
  
"She told me that she had chosen me to mentor her daughter," Hermione said, still thinking hard. "She said I was a threat to You-Know-."  
  
"Hermione," the Merlin said, still looking very kind and pensive. "I suggest that, if you are a threat to Lord Voldemort, that you do call him by his name. It will take some getting used to, but you will be better off in the long run."  
  
"All right," Hermione said, a little shaken by the interruption. "Voldemort," oddly, it was hard for Hermione to start saying his name, "she says, is after me for that reason." Hermione stopped, pondering deeply once again.  
  
Minerva tensed up, her fears again becoming more concrete each passing second. She rushed outside, but the Merlin didn't seem to notice. Hermione became more alarmed as Minerva left the house.  
  
"She said that I was protected by the Faeries, and that I was well known there, just like Tania, a princess," Merlin continued to keep his interested gaze upon Hermione as she struggled. "Sheannon said the scar would protect me, and that's all I can recall."  
  
"She was right," the Merlin's eyes slowly raised up and looked at the mark. "It looks like we've got two protected students at school; you and Harry are growing more alike, but we will have to conceal yours. Luckily for us, the placement of the scar is high on your forehead, no one will notice, and your bangs will also hide it." Merlin smiled a small smile. "That is only what we must expect from the Faeries; they work in mysterious ways, they do.  
  
"I must tell you that you are the Gryffindor prefect." He smiled once again when he saw Hermione's face light up. "You are safe, Hermione, and you are well protected. Both the God and Goddess find favor with you; you work for their good and for the ultimate keeping of peace and they will not kill someone working for a cause so important to Them. I think I'll send Wendell in here to continue your lessons before we leave." Hermione's face lit up with that familiar glow and with that, the Merlin left the house. He approached the Lady, who was pacing silently nearby, in what the Merlin thought to be prayer.  
  
"Minerva, please try to calm yourself," the Merlin said softly.  
  
"Albus, it is my fault," Minerva said in a very distressed tone, yet it was almost a small cry. "If I had only accepted his mother,. but the Goddess gave me no inclination of any good coming from her."  
  
"Minerva, listen to me," Albus said earnestly. "It is not your fault, the Goddess can only chose and his mother was not one of her chosen. The God and Goddess do everything for a reason, whether it is known to us or not, we must accept what they have said, and do our best to follow that through."  
  
"Now, as soon as Hermione is well enough to walk, we must take her to her parents before she leaves for the Weasleys. She will have plenty to tell them, no doubt." The Merlin smiled, trying to raise the Lady's spirits.  
  
"You are right, Albus, you are right," Minerva sighed, and they walked down the path, discussing the Midsummer Rites.  
  
Helen and John had been very cooperative about Hermione, but perhaps it was because they lived so close, that Hermione could visit them at any time, unlike Lily and Narcissa. Hermione was one of the very few priestesses who still keep in contact with their parents, and on good terms with them.  
  
Minerva helped Hermione to her parents' house the following morning because she was still a bit wobbly on her feet.  
  
"Lady?" Hermione asked, trying desperately to keep her balance, which was becoming easier.  
  
"Yes, dear," Minerva answered, but not really paying much attention, since she was lost in her own thoughts.  
  
"It wasn't your fault," Hermione said pensively. The Lady couldn't believe what she had heard. "I mean, about Voldemort's mother."  
  
"How.How did you know," Minerva stuttered out, looking at Hermione incredulously.  
  
"Wendell sang a song about it," Hermione admitted, and stared back consciously as the Lady looked defiantly at her, with a sense of defeat in her eyes. "And you haven't been yourself lately. Your eyes are usually filled with life and intrigue, but now they're dead, full of remorse. I can't stand to see you like this. Please don't blame yourself, I really need you now."  
  
"What is it, child" Minerva said unbelievingly. It was extremely unlike Hermione to be acting this way. As far as she knew, there was nothing too burdensome in Hermione's life at the moment, but of course, she could be wrong. "What could be so painful?"  
  
"You must remember that you are my faith," Hermione didn't meet the Lady's eyes, but instead focused on the ground. "Without you, Lady, I am nothing."  
  
The last sentence fell heavily in Minerva's heart. There was really no other person that was a true model of Avalon and the Goddess in her life. If she slipped into what would be her death stupor, than all hope for a Renaissance would be demolished. They were both were helplessly lost in their melancholy thoughts the rest of the way to Hermione's house.  
  
Eventually, Hermione and Minerva approached the Grangers' house. The Grangers embraced their daughter, and it was the eagle-eyed Helen who first caught the sight of the new scar on Hermione's forehead.  
  
"My dear," Mrs. Granger said, almost frantic and Mr. Granger gaped as he too noticed the impression. "How did you get the curiously shaped scar on your forehead? Don't tell me you've already been initiated." It wouldn't have surprised either of the Grangers' to learn that their daughter had surpassed the usual age boundaries, they had grown accustomed to it. But even though Hermione was the perfect daughter, the perfect priestess, and the soon to be perfect prefect, she did hide quite a lot of pain and worry, which, as a priestess in training, she had learned to hide, even better than Lily had. She made sure that her eyes didn't give her emotions away.  
  
There was Voldemort, whom had plagued her dreams and Sights for the past few days, and the secret of her priestess-hood that she kept from her two best friends and was only allowed to tell one of her peers. And there were other miscellaneous things hidden inside, problems and worries that no normal magical teenage girl had to deal with, as well as giving up all traces of a social life for her faith and her foretold destiny. She kept all this bottled inside, and put her focus on being the best at everything she tried, so that people wouldn't see her emotions, only her accomplishments.  
  
"No, mum," Hermione said, smiling and running her hand over the scar. "It was a gift from the Faerie Queen." Minerva was glad that Hermione thought of her scar that way. Not many other people would perceive odd marks on their foreheads as such.  
  
Helen and John fairly understood and continued to welcome their daughter home. Minerva left the happy home to go back to the Isle, her mind literally buzzing, and was notified the next day that Hermione had left with Mr. Weasley and Ginny in a ministry car.  
  
It was a joyful reunion when Hermione finally arrived at the Burrow. There was a lot of hugging and shaking of hands, and Hermione, like Harry, wasn't too surprised when she learned what happened to Percy. Crookshanks again found himself at home in the burrow as well. They spent the remaining of the summer together, and it was on the last, rainy night, that Mr. Weasley kept his promise to Dumbledore.  
  
"Harry," Mr. Weasley said as Harry climbed the stairs to go to bed.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Weasley?" said Harry, turning slowly on the spot to gaze back down the stairs.  
  
"I need to talk to you about something," Mr. Weasley muttered nervously. "Here, have a seat," Mr. Weasley pointed to the high-backed plum armchair, as he positioned himself across from Harry on the lumpy paisley sofa.  
  
"Harry," Mr. Weasley started again, clearing his throat. "Professor Dumbledore and I thought it was time that you knew why You-Know-Who wanted to kill you."  
  
Harry was overwhelmed by that sentence alone. Even though he had long expected the answer, it still seemed that he wasn't ready.  
  
"You-Know-Who had a plan, and your mother was a part of it," Mr. Weasley had gotten up from his seat and started pacing in front of the slowly dying fire. "She was to be his wife, and to bear him the heir that was to be the ruler after him."  
  
Harry felt very numb, like it couldn't be true, like it wasn't his very own mother. "But wouldn't Vol-, sorry, You-Know-Who, be after her, not me?" Harry wondered aloud.  
  
"Harry," Mr. Weasley tried to look very comforting, but his nervousness shined through his voice. "I, for one, do not question the way that You-Know-Who's mind works, nor do I think that I want to understand him completely, but still, You-Know-Who had nothing but hatred and abhorrence for Lily, but there was someone he disliked even more; James. If it hadn't been for your father, Lily would have already been He-Who-Must- Not-Be-Name's wife, because your father saved Lily from what You-Know-Who thought was an unbreakable plan. Then he learned to hate you, since you were a constant reminder of his lost heir. There was only one way to get proper revenge, to reclaim Lily for his own, and to destroy you and your father, but, again, both Lily and James won against him that night, even though they lost their lives, you lived on, and again you became that sickening constant model to You-Know-Who that he had failed, and the only way to make himself know that he is more powerful than you and your parents is to finally dispose of you, and their memory."  
  
Harry just sat, mystified with what he had just learned. Why didn't anyone tell him that there was more behind Voldemort's motives than he knew? Mr. Weasley quickly noticed the glazed look in Harry's eyes.  
  
"You are an emblem of failure to him, Harry, and he will not sleep soundly at night until he finally is victorious over you. With his return, you are under an even more precise form of surveillance and protected by a more powerful type of magic." Mr. Weasley saw Harry drop his head onto his chest. "Harry, this is to keep you safe."  
  
"And whose life am I destroying by staying alive?" Harry burst out, finally voicing the painful emotion that had been building up inside him.  
  
"Harry, please calm down," Harry saw Mr. Weasley's eyes shoot up towards the rest of the house, knowing that Mr. Weasley did not want to wake the rest of the house up this late. "You are protected by people who love you and are loyal to your parents, particularly those who knew them. They are by no means forced to do this; they want you to live the life that your parents never could."  
  
Harry buried his face in his hands, his guilt rising onto his face. Mr. Weasley sighed to himself. "I believe that Dumbledore will be more of a help then I'll ever be in this situation, so I'll leave this to you. It's up to you whether you tell Ron or Hermione.Well, I'm going up to bed. Are you coming up, Harry?"  
  
Harry looked up at Mr. Weasley's kind expression, and did his best to force a grin. "I think I'll stay here, you know, just to mull it all over." Harry's voice drifted off at the end of his sentence.  
  
"Of course," Mr. Weasley said, sounding very concerned, and he didn't say anything else as he headed up the creaky, lopsided stairs.  
  
Meanwhile, Hermione was tossing and turning unusually. She knew the Sight was coming, but it wasn't good right now, the night before the 5th year at Hogwarts started. She kept refusing it, and when it finally seemed to stop, something amazing happened.  
  
"You cannot deny me, Hermione," a smooth, soft voice whispered into her ear, which caused her eyes to spring open in surprise. "I will simply not allow you to cascade past this delicate situation."  
  
"My God," Hermione gasped in wonder, but she didn't move from her position. Was she truly talking to the Goddess? Or was it her mind?  
  
"Hermione, your friend is in distress," there was a tone of urgency in the voice. "You must help him to understand, for only you can truly help."  
  
"Who is this friend?" Hermione was suddenly awake, yelling into the darkness. "Where are they?"  
  
"Calm down, dear child," the voice overpowered her helpless screams. "They are not far away, seek and you will find." The voice faded into the eerie sound of silence. It was then that she heard the unwavering echo of pacing footsteps downstairs. Not knowing who it was, Hermione slipped downstairs, not wanting to deny such a clear signal from the Goddess, but then again, no Goddess-fearing person in their right mind would deny that sign.  
  
Harry was pacing uncontrollably, which is what he always seemed to do when he really wasn't that sure about something. But when he heard a noise that didn't seem to come from his own footsteps, and wasn't the constant purr that came from the sleeping Crookshanks, he turned anxiously on the spot. He really didn't want to discuss this new information with anyone, nor did he want to deal with anyone right at this moment.  
  
"Who is it?" he called a little too loud than he had meant to, and then he remembered about the eight other people in the burrow who were trying desperately to sleep, and subsequently tried to lower his now hoarse voice in vain.  
  
"Harry?" Hermione whispered, trying to focus properly on Harry's slender figure. "What's the matter? Why aren't you in bed?"  
  
Harry was in no mood for this at all. "I should ask you the same thing, Miss Prefect!" Harry sounded extremely spiteful.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione said, utterly shocked. She looked into his eyes; they looked hurt and betrayed. "I came down because I had the feeling that something was not right." She looked helplessly at him. "Why are you so mad?"  
  
"Hermione, I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at myself." He said, sitting once again on the paisley sofa and rubbing his temples with his fingers.  
  
"Why?" Hermione asked, although she felt very stupid saying it, especially when Harry sighed heavily.  
  
"I just learned why Voldemort is after me," He looked at Hermione, his eyes searching her face. Hermione raised her eyebrows in true surprise, for she thought that Dumbledore would have told Harry sooner. Lily's life was a legend on the Isles. "I'm mad at myself because there are so many lives that I've destroyed by staying alive."  
  
"But Harry," she said reasonably. "Think of how many lives you've saved by being here, and all the lives you changed for the good. You've certainly changed mine; do you think I would be as brave as I am today if you weren't here?"  
  
Finally, Harry cracked a smile, one that truly lit up his whole face. "You're right, Hermione," he stood up and hugged her. "I've got to get some sleep. Come on, Hermione!"  
  
When they reached the forth flight of stairs, Hermione would turn to the left, while Harry's room was in the second door on the right. Just as Hermione was opening her door, she heard Harry faintly whispering to her.  
  
"Sometimes, I think you know more about me than I know about myself," the grin reappeared, but this time it held a bit more boyish happiness.  
  
"You never know," Hermione muttered under her breath, as she slipped into Ginny's pitch dark room.  
  
It was a quite uneventful morning, but it was nonetheless hectic, as it usually was at the Weasley house. As soon as they had all piled their things into trunks, the six Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione all traveled to King's Cross by means of a portkey. The only problem was, Mr. Weasley, although trying to pick the safest spot to not be seen, picked a single stall in the station's women's water closets.  
  
If truth be told, George narrowly missed being hurled into a toilet, while Crookshanks truly was thrown into it, the stall itself almost burst, and muggles stared in amazement as five men evidently preferred the woman's bathroom. All in all, it was an experience they would never forget.  
  
As soon as they were all on platform 9-3/4, Mr. Weasley bid them farewell as the train pulled away from the station. Fred and George left to sit with their friends, which might have been a good thing, as the two were both too energetic for their own good.  
  
Crookshanks once again found a comfortable corner in which to sleep, while even Pig seemed to calm down. Light, steady rain splattered the window. The old witch with the trolley came by, and when it had seemed hours since she had passed, the members of the compartment were growing weary of the trip, although the weather seemed to disagree. A storm had brewed, as it always seemed to do around the beginning of the year, and the lightning threatened to demolish their power sources. Hermione had had enough of it.  
  
"I'm going to see what's going on," Hermione said, standing up. "We should be at the castle by now."  
  
"You want me to come with you?" Ron said, standing up as well.  
  
Hermione smiled to herself; Ron loved to be manly in her presence. "I'll be fine, Ron," she said sarcastically. "I'm only going a car over, I think I can take care of myself." She gave him a reassuring smile, with a bit of a sardonic twist.  
  
Ron's ears went red, as his cheeks showed a pink tinge creeping upon them. "All right," he muttered, turning back around to sit down. Harry was bursting with laughter, and he gave Hermione a grin that showed slight reprove, but was jovial all the same.  
  
She sidled her way out the compartment door and into the hall, where the lights were flickering, just as they were in the compartments. She made her way up to the conductor's seat to discover what was really going on.  
  
Meanwhile, in a compartment not too far away, Draco was keen to complete his quest for Voldemort. Although his plans so far were primitive, and no where near what he expected of himself, seeing Granger walk alone into the conductor's seat, which was adjacent to his compartment, was a stroke of luck. If he kept his own identity concealed the whole time, then Ms. Granger need not know that she was giving away information that could lead to her own best friend's demise and, eventually, and hopefully, his death.  
  
Draco was not in this alone though. Another of his friends, Adam Nott, was also a death-eater's son and was determined to be a better and more faithful death-eater than his father ever was, which was truly the goal for all death-eaters' sons.  
  
"The door is sliding open again," said Adam, checking the hallway. "Are you sure you're going to be able to do that light thing?"  
  
"Of course I am," Draco said pompously, straightening his robe sleeve for no apparent reason at all. "I'm telling you, I am the best priest that place has seen since Dumbledore himself started."  
  
"You mean that old fool," laughed Adam, throwing back his dark brown hair and peeked outside again. "I can't believe you allow that muggle- loving idiot to have active part in your life."  
  
"Yeah," Draco mumbled, suddenly becoming more interested in his cloak. No matter how hard he tried to convince himself that Voldemort was his true role-model and that his position in life was to live his own life like his father's, but do it better, it didn't always work. He loved his mother too much, and he felt like becoming the Merlin was also his destiny. But how can one have two sure destinies that completely, in all ways possible, contradict each other?  
  
Suddenly, Adam jerked back, leaving the door ajar. "She's coming!" he whispered urgently, his midnight blue eyes glinting maliciously. "Are you ready?" He looked, or rather, stared at Draco.  
  
"Let's go," Draco said, and raised his hands to shoulder level, clenched his fists at his chest, and then swiftly pushed them apart. Then the whole train was thrown into complete darkness. Several screams echoed down the hall, but, to both Draco and Adam's surprise, none of the screams seemed to come from Hermione, who at that time was right outside the open door.  
  
Feeling they were losing valuable time and allowing Hermione to recover from the distortion of being thrown in to utter disillusion, Draco stepped up and grabbed Hermione, making sure that one of his hands covered her mouth.  
  
"Listen and do as I say or the price will be dear," Draco made sure that he spoke in a voice that was not his own, while Adam was shutting the door carefully. "You hold the secret of Harry Potter's downfall. Either you forfeit that information, or you will not leave this compartment with your life."  
  
Hermione was crouched in shock and disarray, a stranger's hand stuffed in her mouth, and she felt the cold tip of a wand press against her neck, but she did not loose her intellect. Though she could not see her attackers, she knew that she could outsmart them. With one of her free hands, which the attacker carelessly forgot to secure, she forced the hand away. Working as quickly as possible, she whispered the only charm that could save her before a curse came from the figure's lips.  
  
"Velaluz," As soon as the words had been said, a tiny tongue of fire hovered about an inch above the palm of her hand. Knowing what would happen if they were discovered, both Adam and Draco shrunk away from the brilliant glow, and apparated quickly before she could turn the train's lights back on. Genuinely spooked and a little uneasy, Hermione left the compartment, heading back to her friends', but not without running into the person she needed to talk to most at the moment.  
  
Meanwhile, one other person on the train had a slight idea of what was going on, (we'll get to that later) but it wasn't Harry or Ron. Both were completely grateful when she reappeared safe and sound. All Hermione could do was roll her eyes, she knew that although they tried to act all big brother-ish, she knew that they had been petrified by the sudden collapse into darkness.  
  
When the train slowed, Harry and Ron became Hermione's bodyguards, and, being Harry and Ron, shot Draco Malfoy an extremely infuriated look, which Malfoy returned with and equally malicious stare. Although Hermione knew that it was the most common assumption that Harry and Ron constantly made, she couldn't shake off the feeling that Malfoy did have some part in the events that Harry and Ron would never learn about, since she had saved herself by Avalon magic, a subject utterly forbidden while at Hogwarts, and since Harry and Ron knew that she hadn't taking her wand with her.  
  
As Hermione walked along the cramped quarters, which was as congested as a nose with allergies, (what I feel like right now) she felt a warm hand press against her cold one. Knowing that it was not Harry or Ron, or even Ginny, who was close by, she turned to look around, and found her man; the Cheshire cat grin gave him away immediately. Galen Moon craved a word with her. (Shakespeare never gets old.;)  
  
Galen seemed like the quiet type guy who had grown up in an ordinary family. But his life was just the exact opposite; his short life could not be anymore confusing and sad. Galen's life was directly related to Professor Trelawney, and why both Hermione and Minerva severely disliked Sybil Trelawney, and it wasn't because she was a kooky loon.  
  
Galen's mother was Sybil's own daughter, Ramla, and she had extremely high expectations for her, and one of them was producing a child that would excel in Divination. Ramla deeply resented that her mother only saw her as a fertile servant, so she distance herself as far away from her as she could.  
  
Eventually, Ramla found the man of her dreams, a muggle named Eshkol Moon, who was a wine connoisseur born in India, but raised in Italy. They were married a short time after they had met, and moved to a flat in Edinburgh. A few months later, Ramla found out she was pregnant, and vowed to never let her mother learn of her coming grandchild; if she was the prophetess she said she was, surely she would already know that her grandchild was on the way.  
  
Ramla's birth didn't go according to anyone's plan, it seemed. Eshkol was away in Italy sampling the new season's wines when Ramla's water broke. So many complications arose during the birth, that it came to everyone's senses that the child was fine and healthy, but it would take the mother's life, inevitably, no matter if they were to kill the child or not.  
  
Galen Faust Moon was born in the early hours of November 17th, 1987, and Ramla Moon died a few minutes after her son was born. Eshkol was on his way back to Edinburgh when he learned that his son was born, and that his beloved wife was dead. He caught the fastest subway he could at King's Cross Station to take him to the heart of Edinburgh, so that he could claim his new son.  
  
Tragedy struck once more. Due to unknown circumstances, a blazing fire erupted in the subway car that Eshkol had just stepped into, killing him instantly. Little Galen was left with no parents, with only Sybil to take care of him.  
  
When Galen grew up, Sybil constantly tested Galen to see if he had the divinational gift. When he was eight, and Sybil began to 'see' that Galen did not hold the talent that she so hoped her kin would have.  
  
Minerva took pity on the child and raised him on Avalon, she taught him very little magic, not because he wasn't trustworthy, but because he knew that he had to find the place where his own heart was. He loved Delia, and usually helped her and Lycoris. Minerva made sure that he was happy, and enrolled him in Hogwarts when he was eleven, where he was sorted into the Ravenclaw house.  
  
During this time, he and Hermione had built a tight, unusual bond, which was platonic, more of a brother/sister relationship than anything else. Galen was the only peer that knew that she was a priestess.  
  
She stepped to the side to talk to Galen. "Are you okay?" he asked her, visibly worried. I saw the light coming from the compartment you were outside when the lights went off."  
  
She looked at him intently. "Of course I'm fine," and she gave him a reassuring smile, although her head was swimming with the thought of who would have done that to her.  
  
Author's Note: Not too much happening, but the next chapter will have a Quidditch game and perhaps why Galen seems to have such a traumatic childhood. Again I plead for your forgiveness, it's just that school is over working, but hopefully I'll release more during Christmas when I have TIME! Well, enjoy your holidays, whatever they may be, and please accept these gifts from me; Cherry Coke, Cheesecake, and a refreshing episode of Whose Line is it Anyway? Thank you so much for reviewing, I don't know what I would do without them. (Seriously)  
  
Epequa 


	13. Chapter 13 Capricious Cyan

Hey everyone! Thank you so much for reviewing, and for putting up with my slowness. (Model UN is a killer!) I was really apprehensive about writing this chapter because A) I've never written a Quidditch game, and B) I'm into 5th year, so this is completely my plot, just with J.K.'s characters. *SCARY* Just to let you know, I am sincerely trying to call A) Albus and Minerva on the Isles, and B) Dumbledore and McGonagall at school. This will take a little bit of an adjustment. Again, I am not worthy to have your eyes read this lowly fan fiction, just give it time, it will get better and the romance will come in. (I know, I know; "Does she think she'll be able to finish this story before we're all forty.J.K.'s so much faster than she is.) I'm such a sorry, slow person, have mercy on me! Lots of A's and B's in this note. Anywho, I sincerely hope you enjoy this chapter and please don't forget to review. And Happy Holidays!(If there are any left)  
  
Useless Information: Quotes, Quotes, Quotes, what would I do without them? Here's one that I hope you will like. "We are not permitted to choose the frame of our destiny. But what we put into it is ours." - Dag Hammarskjold  
  
Disclaimer: 'Twas the Night before posting, and on fanfiction.net. Not a person owns their fanfic, because they just can't. (including me of course) So, before I leave to get into bed, I'll give the credit to J.K. Rowling and Marion Zimmer Bradley instead. (It's a Holiday Classic!)  
  
If Time is All We've Lost  
  
Chapter 13 - Capricious Cyan  
  
"He can make you love. He can get you high. He will bring you down. He'll make, make you cry.  
  
Something keeps him moving, but no one seems to know, what it is that makes him go."  
  
/~\ 'Guitar Man' \~/ Bread /~\  
  
"Upstaging is not the correct way to begin the year as a prefect, Ms. Granger," said Snape, sneering as he commented on her leadership skills. "It could create a serious flaw in these neophytes."  
  
Hermione calmly ignored the snide comments and smiled warmly at the first years. "This is your potions teacher, Professor Snape," the first-year Gryffindors looked at him, their eyes wide with fear.  
  
Snape scowled and swept away, while Hermione smirked at his back. One of the first-years timidly raised her hand into the air.  
  
"Yes," Hermione said kindly, her smirk fading as she looked intently at the eleven year-old girl.  
  
"I've heard he's the head of Slytherin house, and my father told me that everyone whose ever been in that house turned out to be a bad witch or wizard. Is that true?" the girl said apprehensively. Some of the others glared at her, while the others nervously waited on Hermione's answer.  
  
"Well," Hermione said, carefully wording her answer. "Some people in Slytherin house do become bad, but not all. And Professor Snape is one of those people. You will make friends with people from a variety of houses, and please do not assume that because they are in a certain house, they have the reputation of that house." Feeling her little speech was over with, she turned her back and walked forward once more, her robes sweeping behind her as the first-years followed her lead.  
  
After leading them to their dormitories and giving them a review of the house rules and points, Hermione went to sit with Harry and Ron, who were playing wizard's chess in the middle of the common room.  
  
"Snape's going to be on my case this year," Hermione said lazily as she analyzed their game. "And Malfoy's a prefect too. I'll bet you that I'll get paired up with him on our first assignments and patrols. I guess its the Gryffindor luck."  
  
"C'mon Hermione," Ron said, waiting for Harry to move. "You'll show him; you're the best thing this place has seen since Dumbledore himself."  
  
Hermione looked at Harry quickly, but he had found his move. "Pawn to E-4," he commanded. The piece moved to its place and smashed Ron's Bishop, which stood in its way. Ron groaned loudly, and shifted his attention back to the match.  
  
While Ron was distracted, Hermione raised her eyebrows high at Harry, to indicate what she had felt about Ron's statement. Harry just shrugged and gave her a small smile. Hermione rolled her eyes at the both of them.  
  
"I'm going up to bed," she announced to Harry and Ron as she started to climb the spiral staircase. "I've got a prefect meeting in the morning. You'd better get your rest too Ron, Quidditch try-outs are in the morning."  
  
Ron just stared at her, opened mouthed, wondering how she could have known that he was vying for the Keeper position on the Gryffindor House team. He looked to Harry for an idea, but, of course, all Harry could do was smile and shrug once again.  
  
Hermione allowed herself a well-deserved smile as she headed for her room. She had posted the Quidditch try-out posters on every common room bulletin board in the school, as well as the ones that resided in the Great Hall and on each floor of Hogwarts herself, so she knew that Ron would be trying- out, not only to be on the team, but to fulfill the shoes of the older self he saw in the Mirror of Erised. Hermione had heard the story many times over, but Ron was extremely determined.  
  
Madam Hooch had given Hermione permission to do this favor for her before taking the first years to their dormitories. The fifth-year prefects were asked to stay and wait on the first-years as they finished their orientation, which was a new idea Dumbledore had formed, hoping to strengthen the house bonds.  
  
Hermione stretched out on her familiar scarlet bed, and pulled out a copy of the Daily Prophet. She knew that the coming events would be extremely important, and with Rita gone for good, she knew that the news wouldn't be trash, in the Prophet or otherwise.  
  
Hermione had turned her in to the libel court, and although her crimes weren't good enough to shut her away forever in Azkaban, Rita did receive a five-year sentence in St. Penn's Institute for Criminals far away in the remote Orkney Islands of Scotland.  
  
She shuffled past the Sports and Health pages. Hermione just wasn't interested in the League Quidditch scores or who had been claimed at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies. Instead she flipped through the International reports until the Treaty of Zimbabwean Made Cauldrons no longer held her attention, and then she changed and went to bed, ready to start her fifth year at Hogwarts.  
  
Draco was very zealous about his challenge, and knew that after he figured this one out, the next step would be initiation. That thrilled him completely, but after the dangerous first failed attempt, he knew that it would be harder than he had first expected, but surely Potter wouldn't be that hard to break.  
  
He knew that Granger was a weak point, and truly suspected that Potter had a crush on her, and from the talks and assistance he had received from Voldemort, Draco knew that if you want to conquer someone, you didn't attack their body or their mind, but their heart. Weak was what his father always seemed to call it, and that was one of the worst things that a person could be to the Malfoys.  
  
Draco had a very uneventful sorting and feast, but then again, he really wasn't looking for anything. All he knew was that he wished that Pansy would stop looking at him lovingly every five minutes; he didn't know how much of it he could take. So when Dumbledore announced that the fifth-year prefects were to stay behind with the first-years, Draco felt relieved.  
  
As the others began to filter out of the hall, the fifth-year prefects stood beside the exits. Draco noticed the other prefects from the other three houses: He groaned to himself when he saw Granger. He knew that she was the obvious choice, but still, he didn't want to have to do two and three hour patrols with her. It would have been easier if the basilisk had finished her off. Galen Moon was the prefect from Ravenclaw. Draco really couldn't be satisfied or dissatisfied with him yet; in truth, he hadn't met Galen. And lastly, there was Hannah Abbot from Hufflepuff. Draco knew that Granger and Abbot got along well, and his father once told him that Hannah's father was offered the chance to be a death-eater during the first uprising, but declined. Draco, knowing how the Dark Lord hated to be denied, figured that they would be one of the first families to go in the Rebirth.  
  
There were only nine new Slytherins, including Adam's younger brother Armand. Most of them knew Draco already, from meetings they had been forced to come to by their parents. After leading them to their rooms, he headed to his own. He talked to Blaise a little bit about the Quidditch try-outs and about the team this year. As Draco was the captain this year, surely they would win.  
  
Draco went to bed fairly early, knowing that he would have to get up around 5:30 to make the prefect meeting at 7:00. And if there was one thing Draco Malfoy wasn't, it was late or unprepared. With that final thought, he turned off his reading lamp, and closed his ever-changing eyes.  
  
"I'll see you guys later," Hermione called, as she ran up the stairs to empty her armload of books. "Good Luck!"  
  
Both Harry and Ron exited through the portrait hole on their way to Quidditch try-outs. Harry had to attend since he was the new Gryffindor team captain, and he had plans to go into practice as soon as the position was filled. Their first game was against Slytherin on the twenty-ninth, so they couldn't waste any time.  
  
Hermione set her school books down, and picked up a volume to keep herself occupied for the next half-an-hour, when she would go on patrol on the first through fourth floors, making sure that students who were lost found their way and that there were no pranksters lurking about the classrooms, including Peeves. She had been aware of these tasks before she became a prefect, but since Voldemort's comeback, Dumbledore promised concerned parents that there would be heightened security. So at least three times a week she'd be patrolling after dinner until 9:00. Unfortunately, Hermione was paired with Malfoy, and she felt that the patrol wasn't going to be a pleasant experience. They were to meet in the Great Hall at seven-thirty.  
  
Draco hated when he had to wait on people, especially on those he hated. He leaned casually on one of the enormous doors of the Great Hall, his mind coursing over his situation. He looked over towards the staircase where Granger would be coming down sooner or later. Already there was a girl standing at the top of the stairs, obviously looking for someone. His eyes lingered on the girl for a moment, but opened wide in surprise when he realized who it was. Granger had decided to wait on the top of the staircase for him instead. Disbelief washed over him, and soon the bad- temper was back.  
  
"Well, if it isn't the fawning half-faced Mudblood herself," Draco said scathingly, strutting over to the bottom of the staircase. Hermione turned around swiftly to focus on him.  
  
"Hello to you too," she said sardonically, pacing down the stairs silently and quickly. "Let's go and get this over with, since it's plain to see that neither of us want to do this in the first place."  
  
"Seriously, Granger," Draco drawled, crossing his arms as she brushed past him. "I think you are the most intelligent person this place has seen in at least one-hundred years."  
  
"Don't lag, Malfoy," Hermione called, and she was pleased to hear Malfoy's scampering footsteps behind her as he tried to catch up.  
  
Days came and went with no news of Voldemort from Dumbledore or the Daily Prophet. Tireless prefect duties with Malfoy were a constant for Hermione, while Harry and Ron were both busy with Quidditch, and of course, all were swamped with work.  
  
The first game approached quickly, and soon Hermione was in the stands with Hagrid and Ginny, cheering for the two little scarlet blobs that were Harry and Ron, as well as the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Lee Jordan was doing his unforgettable commentary, as usual.  
  
"And Bell passes to Spinnet. Back to Bell, and a bludger sent into the path of Withers, so Katie has a clear path.she shoots.and.the Slytherin keeper misses! Gryffindor in the lead, 10-0." Lee said, trying desperately to keep up with the fast paced game.  
  
Ron was nervously watching the three goals, while Harry squinted around for the snitch. Although, while everyone's attention was on the game, Draco was waiting apprehensively for the perfect time to initiate his plan B.  
  
While Harry searched for a tiny glimmer of gold, he noticed, as well as Hermione, Ginny, and Hagrid in the stands, that the Slytherin chasers were superb, and were giving Ron a terrible time. While they tried the Porskoff Play and the Woollongong Shimmy, only the Hawkshead Attacking Formation actually scored the Slytherins' ten points.  
  
"Scoles passes, but its intercepted by Johnson. Watch out, Angelina, that's a bludger with the force of two beaters behind it, sent her way by the two Slytherin beaters Ghap and Rewins." It was amazing that Lee still had breath to speak. "MacDougal seems to be Slytherin's last hope before she reaches the goal posts. He hits, but is drove down. Johnson speeds towards the goal, and she. OH MY GOD!!!" One stern look from McGonagall changed that statement. "Sorry, I mean JIMENY CRICKET!!! MacDougal comes out from the blind side and nearly pulverizes Johnson, not only knocking the Quaffle from her hands, but almost succeeding in knocking her off her broom!"  
  
Angelina was awarded a penalty shot, which she easily made, upping the Gryffindors to 20. If the snitch wasn't caught soon, this game could go on forever. Scoring was even until Slytherin was 20 points up, the score now 50-70, that's when Draco decided to put his plan into action.  
  
Hermione and Ginny's voices were getting hoarse from cheering. The game had reached its two hour mark, and still there was no sign of the end. Hagrid left soon after Slytherin scored, saying that he had other business to attend to. The game was coming toward their end of the field again. Hermione's eyes were overcome by darkness, and she felt many arms shaking her, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't come back to the real world.  
  
Draco flew beside Patrin, one of the Slytherin beaters, and wrenched his club of his hands. A bludger was zooming towards him, and he only had a few seconds to gain aim, and then he hit it and the bludger soared straight at Granger.  
  
Hermione, it seemed, had no idea that a bludger was flailing towards her head, and Ginny tried in vain to get her attention or move her, as did three others that were around her. Ron noticed the bludger, but was trying to hold off another Slytherin score, so he couldn't help, but Harry could, and soon he was flying as fast as the Firebolt would carry him towards the bludger.  
  
A burning print flashed quickly before Hermione's eyes; the Dark Mark. Then she could see the outside world again, only to focus on the brown bludger that was about half-a-meter from her face, and Harry close behind. Shock aside, she stared at the bludger before she realized what she was doing, and it froze just before her. Ginny stared, as did Harry, and soon almost everyone had turned their head.  
  
Hermione didn't know what to do. She had learned to stop moving objects from her priestess training, and that subject was strictly forbidden at Hogwarts. And, to make matters worse, she didn't even have her wand, to pretend that she had done it by magic. Thankfully, Galen saved her, by standing up and pointing his wand at the immobile bludger, and forcing everyone to believe by reason that he had muttered the correct charm just in time to save Hermione.  
  
Many people clapped for him, and he took a bow for added effect. The only ones who knew he was faking was Dumbledore, McGonagall, Hermione, and himself, but Draco had the feeling that something just wasn't right. In truth, Draco wasn't the only one that felt that there was something suspicious going on; Harry had stared Hermione in the eyes as the bludger stopped before her face; they were wide and fearful, and Harry looked around in bewilderment as he heard applause. His last look at Hermione was one of complete discombobulation.  
  
"Freudian slip," chuckled Dumbledore to a very astonished and alarmed McGonagall.  
  
Another penalty shot was rewarded to Gryffindor, and the score was 60-70. Although disoriented by the bludger, Harry caught the Snitch, giving Gryffindor their well-deserved win, and leaving everyone satisfied with the three hour spectacle of the game.  
  
As Hermione left the stands, Ron came rushing towards her, asking her endlessly if she was all right, just as Ginny had done. After assuring him many times that she was unharmed, Ron took her aside from the crowds.  
  
"Um.Hermione, well," Ron stuttered, trying desperately to find his wits. "Yeah, and well, anyway." he nervously ran his palm over the back of his neck. It seemed to Hermione that a veela had just crossed his path. "Will you be my girlfriend?" He looked at her earnestly with sincere azure eyes.  
  
Hermione knew one day that it would have come, but, in reality, she had never suspected for it to come so soon. She gave him a look of utter shock and genuine surprise, and then she started muttering like him, although she was trying to think of the best way to keep her secret from him but not break his heart.  
  
"Well, Ron," she said, though her mind was buzzing with thoughts of the Lady: What would she say right now? But Hermione was left hopeless without her wisdom, so she solved it in the best possible way she could think of at that very tense moment. "All right, I'll be your girlfriend."  
  
Her heart almost broke in two when she saw his face glow brilliantly with happiness. How could she tell him that it would never work, no matter what, because of who she was? Would he think he was lying to her?  
  
"Oh, Hermione!" Ron said, hugging her and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "You don't know how glad I am to finally hear that! I'll see you back in the Common Room!" and he turned and left to change in the locker rooms.  
  
Guilt clutched her heart, and she walked out of the isolated place and into the almost empty stands, determined to clear her thoughts. Ginny had tried to come along, not only to talk, but also for protection, but Hermione made sure that no one followed her.  
  
Harry had hung around to see how things with Ron and Hermione had went. He was happy for Ron, but something about the way Hermione acted was unusual, and then the bludger; there had to be something that Hermione wasn't telling them, and Harry knew it, although Hermione did her best to hide it from them. To Harry, Voldemort seemed hundreds of miles away from Hogwarts, since the trouble was all at school, and in the 5th year students it seemed. He watched Hermione carefully glide down the rows of stairs silently, and head out across the grounds. Finally, as Hermione had almost reached the Lake, Harry turned to join the team in celebration in the Common Room.  
  
Hermione felt horrible. This was Ron, one of her best friends, a brother. How could she even attempt to tell him that she couldn't be his girlfriend because of her beliefs? Even to her that didn't sound very credible, but it was the truth. Another weight was added to her already heavy conscious and over-loaded mind. She headed back towards the castle, and noticed that Hagrid's house was lit up. Figuring that he was home, she went inside.  
  
Hagrid stood up gruffly when he heard the barely audible knocks on his door. "Who is it?" he asked, his voice more hoarse than usual.  
  
"Hermione," a soft voice fluttered through the door, and Hagrid quickly opened it to stare upon the distraught girl on his doorstep. She looked into his black eyes. "How did the meeting go?"  
  
"Hermione what a pleasure it is to see you!" Hagrid said gruffly as he let her in. "What are you talking about? How are things up at the school?"  
  
"Fine, Hagrid, as always," she said, wondering why he had avoided her question, and though she tried to sound like she truly meant it; it didn't work.  
  
"There, there, Hermione, tell me what's going on," Hagrid said, sounding extremely concerned. "You have my full confidence."  
  
"And you have mine," she said, referring back to her first question, sounding seemingly omniscient. "Hagrid, how did the meeting go?"  
  
"All right, Hermione, you got me there, but first tell me what's goin' up there, I only see you three twice a week at most. Tell 'Arry and Ron to come see me some time." Hagrid said, scratching his chin.  
  
"Well, they're why I'm here," she said, but that didn't sound right. She mulled it over once more before she corrected herself. "Actually, I'm why I'm here, Hagrid. There's something about me that you're not supposed to know; no one's supposed to know."  
  
"Hermione," Hagrid said, now looking extremely worried and concerned. "What happened? Did someone do something to ya?" Hagrid was starting to sound frantic.  
  
"No, Hagrid, calm down. It's nothing like that," said Hermione, a little surprised. "I am a priestess of Avalon, Hagrid."  
  
A look of relief seem to wash over Hagrid, but it was only replaced by one of confusion, but once she explained, he understood.  
  
"There's just one thing, Hermione," Hagrid said, again scratching his chin and looking thoughtful. "What does this have to do with Harry and Ron?"  
  
"Because I am a priestess of Avalon, I give my life completely to the Goddess and I love whom she chooses," Hermione knew that this was hard for most people to comprehend, but that is how devoted priestesses were to be. "Ron is a friend, one of my best friends, but nothing more. He doesn't see it that way, but he doesn't know about Avalon, and I'm forbidden to reveal my secret.and I don't know if Ron will understand. I mean, it does sound extremely far-fetched."  
  
"Hermione," Hagrid said gruffly. "I know what Minerva's told you, but the best thing I think you can do is tell both Harry and Ron the truth, and they, especially Ron, deserves to know."  
  
"It just doesn't seem that simple to me," she said, feeling horrible. "This is exposing something that I have kept from them since we met, and keeping the time-turner a secret for one school year was such a big deal to them; what will they say about this? What will Harry say when he discovers that I know more about his mother than he does?" Hermione felt tears start to well in her eyes, but held them back.  
  
"You can't kno-." Hagrid started, but Hermione interjected quickly.  
  
"Hagrid, Harry has family, family that is alive!" She yelled. The tears were coming and she knew it, but she didn't care for once. "I'm sorry, Hagrid, I'm so sorry. How can I tell him, Hagrid, how?"  
  
Hagrid did his best to comfort her, yet he insisted that the best way to deal with the situation was to reveal her covert life, but Hermione still wasn't sure. After a cup of tea, Hermione headed back up to the castle. When she arrived back in the common room, Ron and Harry rushed over to talk to her, but she complained of a headache, so they left her alone.  
  
Draco was confused. After replaying and replaying the game's events in his head, he still couldn't find the flaw in his plan. His aim was perfect, his timing was flawless, but then again, he did get what he was looking for, but hurting Granger would have been a nice addition. Voldemort would pleased with what he had, and hopefully he would get something in return.  
  
A dark circle of cloaks surrounded a small fire. Draco and the others waited upon Voldemort to arrive, and, in his own time, he did.  
  
"Servants, you have returned," Voldemort hissed, his spindly fingers traced his jaw. "We will soon welcome those servants who are most faithful to me, but, in the meantime, Draco, I believe you and I have something to discuss. Come, I no longer trust half of my own disciples."  
  
Draco's heart leaped out of pride, and yet it stuck in his throat because he was so nervous. This was, of course, the Dark Lord himself, and Voldemort was dependent on the information that he was providing. He forced his legs to move him forward, and they followed Voldemort to a secluded spot far from earshot and the prying eyes of the other death eaters.  
  
"Well, Draco, what have you found?" Voldemort asked intently, boring into Draco with his narrow eyes. Draco now began to worry if he had found enough for him; would he be able to please the Dark Lord?  
  
"Sir, you have instructed me well on how to extract the information you need from the mudblood," Draco said, hoping that he wouldn't be punished for his less than perfect performance, "but it was the err on my part, Lord. Still, I have not come to you empty-handed. I followed along your lines in that I suspected that Potter's weakness lie in Granger. During a school Quidditch game, I hit a bludger at her, hoping Potter would throw himself in front of her to save her. My plan was working, up until the last moment, when she opened her eyes and stared blankly at the bludger. It halted completely less than an inch from her nose, and no one else seemed to notice that she stopped it herself. She's not a regular witch, Lord."  
  
"I see," Voldemort said, listening intently, but his mind was really buzzing. 'But you already knew that, didn't you. Damn you Narcissa!' he thought. But still, the boy was doing his absolute best, and, as Voldemort now saw, he was extremely inventive. Hopefully, he, Voldemort, could mold Draco into the most loyal and valuable follower he could ever have, almost like the son he never had. "Still, your efforts are not to go unrewarded."  
  
Draco had no idea what to expect as an accolade from a Dark Lord, so he both cringed and looked surprised at the same time, which looked quite odd. Voldemort reached inside his robes and pulled out a small crystal vial decorated with an intricate Egyptian symbol. The vial was so minute that it fit in Draco's palm. The liquid inside was clear, even purer, it seemed, than the cleanest water one could ever find. It reminded Draco of the Truth serum that Snape had threatened Potter with last year.  
  
"This, Draco, is a valuable gift that I have acquired from the ancient mediwizards of Egypt." Said Voldemort, clutching the vial tightly before dropping it into Draco's hand. "One drop of this is more potent than a whole liter of Veritaserum ever could be, but truth is not what it reveals."  
  
Now aware that Voldemort could and was reading his mind, he made a mental note to never think about anything that related to Dragon Isle while he was around him. Voldemort may know that Narcissa had influences on him, but what he what he had not yet discovered was that Draco was still training to become the Merlin, and he was hard at work, trying to control the forces of nature that the God leaves at his fingertips.  
  
"Keep it secret and keep it safe," Voldemort's red eyes pierced into Draco's, but Draco made sure his stare never faltered. A silent agreement was reached, and they left to return to the circle.  
  
Lucius was not only relieved when he saw his son in one piece, but he was also suspicious. It would be his dying day when he saw his own son take his place in the circle of death eaters, and that was just his pride speaking, but then again, Draco was more than Lucius had first thought; more than Voldemort could even fathom.  
  
"What are we going to do about him, Albus?" Minerva said, pacing about frantically. Albus was behind his desk, looking at letters from behind his familiar half-moon spectacles.  
  
"Minerva," Albus said, a hint of impatience laced in his tone. "I can trust him because I know him. He is not your concern at all, and you cannot expect him to be. He is the concern of the God, the Goddess, and myself. He is just as exceptional as Hermione is and he is well on his way to fulfilling his purpose."  
  
"Did you see what he did? How are they supposed to work for harmony and eternal peace?" Minerva had had enough. No matter how hard she tried to convince everyone on Avalon and herself, she was now at her breaking point.  
  
"Lady, we are both overcome with work and worries, so I beseech you to no longer worry." Albus retorted, his blue eyes blazing. "You are not the Goddess herself, only her representation and paradigm on earth." Finality ran cold in his voice and she left in a huff.  
  
Hermione truly suffered from no headache, but she was glad that she had silence and privacy. But still, after her mind stopped wondering, she became bored and starting obsessing about things that she usually wouldn't; like how messy her side of the dormitory was. While cleaning, she found the Daily Prophet she had thrown aside a few days ago. For once, the Health pages caught her attention. She read on and on about how Mrs. Kifler who had suffered from spontaneous cucumber growth from her ears had been claimed by her brother-in-law. It was the last name on the page that jumped out at Hermione the most.  
  
"On Monday of this past week, Gilderoy Lockhart, a victim of extreme memory loss, was claimed by his cousin Brian Lockhart late on the night of September 27th."  
  
Something didn't sit right about the name Brian. Over the many times that she had read Magical Me, she practically knew it by heart. She grabbed it from her bookshelf, and scanned it quickly, looking for the family tree. Her hunch turned out to be correct; underneath Gilderoy's father's brother's name was the cousin named Brian, but it wasn't that.it was Bryan. Now there were two possibilities that Hermione suspected could have happened. One, the secretary at St. Mungo's had copied the name down wrong, and two, the Daily Prophet could have misprinted it.  
  
Right away, number two was out of the question, because there was an ad in the top right hand corner that read, "An offer of five-thousand galleons to the reader that can find one mistake." And as Hermione searched the rest of the health pages, although there were only two left, she found another small notice plastered at the very end of the last page. "All claimers must give their full name at the time of attainment. They must also show an ID which is copied for media purposes."  
  
Hermione ran as fast as she could, past Harry and Ron, practically leaping down staircases flights at a time, to hopefully the one person that would listen to her, but maybe, just this once, she was wrong about something.  
  
A/N: I AM BEGGING YOU DON'T KILL ME!!!!!! I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY..I PROMISE I'LL NEVER DO THIS AGAIN!!!!!!!! Just to show how repentant I am I promise that I'll get the next chapter out in two months (not much of a promise, eh?), but I will certainly never let this happen again. I will give you, however, The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares (which totally rocks!), some chocolate truffles, the meaning of your name (which, if you really want, you can email me; my book will probably have your name), and a picture of Daniel Radcliff in a dress (which is in the May 5th addition of People magazine, which is available)!!! Have a wonderful day! Epequa 


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